Johannes de Klerk

Johannes
File:Jan de Klerk.jpg
State President of South Africa (acting)
In office 9 April 1975 – 19 April 1975
Preceded by	Jacobus Johannes Fouché
Succeeded by	Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs
Minister of Home Affairs
In office 1961–1966
Personal details
Born	(1903-07-22)22 July 1903 Burgersdorp, Cape Colony
Died	Krugersdorp, Transvaal Province, South Africa
Political party	National Party
Spouse(s)	Hendrina Cornelia Coetzer
Children	Willem de Klerk F. W. de Klerk
Alma mater	Potchefstroom University
Religion	Dutch Reformed

Johannes "Jan'" de Klerk, DMS (22 July 1903 – 24 January 1979) was a South African politician. He was the father of Frederik Willem de Klerk, the last State President of South Africa.

As a member of the National Party, de Klerk served as interim State President for nine days following the retirement of Jacobus Johannes Fouché in 1975. Prior to this, he served as a Senator (1955–1975), Minister of Work and Public Works (1954–1958), Work and Mines (1958–1961), Home Affairs, Work and Immigration (1961), Home Affairs, Education and Arts and Sciences (1961–1966), Education, Arts and Sciences and Information (1966–1967) and National Education (1968–1969), and President of the Senate from 1969 to 1976.

Biography

Son of Reverend Willem de Klerk and his wife Aletta Johannes van Rooy, Jan de Klerk was born 22 July 1903 in Burgersdorp. He spent his childhood in Potchefstroom, in South-West Transvaal. Graduating from Potchefstroom University (1926) where he was the President of the Student Union, he married Hendrina Cornelia Coutzer on 27 April 1927, and had two sons, Willem Johannes and Frederik Willem.

From 1927 to 1945, Jan de Klerk worked in Nylstroom and Witwatersrand. He was headteacher of a school, and secretary of a white workers' trade union. In January 1947, he became administrative secretary of the National Party for the Rand region and in 1948, chief secretary of the NP of Transvaal. From 1949 to 1955, he was a member of the provincial council of Transvaal.

In 1954, Jan de Klerk was named senator and Minister of Work and Public Works in the government of his brother-in-law, Prime Minister JG Strijdom. This nomination provoked controversy due to the relationship between the two men.

He was a minister in the governments of Hendrik Verwoerd and John Vorster. Until 1969, he successively dealt with mines, home affairs, immigration, and education. While Minister of Education, he helped found the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) in Johannesburg and the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE), while also chancellor of the University of Potchefstroom (PUVCHO). He was twice approached to be honorary president of the republic in 1967 and 1968.

By the time of his retirement from the Cabinet, de Klerk had been a cabinet minister for more than fifteen years and was rewarded with the Decoration for Meritorious Service

From 1969 to 1976, he presided over the Senate or upper house of the South African parliament, and this meant that he was briefly interim President of South Africa in 1975. He retired from political life, and died in Krugersdorp on 24 January 1979.

Legacy

A school in Krugersdorp is named in honour of Jan de Klerk.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Johannes de Klerk

16. Barend de Klerk               8. Johannes Cornelis de Klerk                       17. Maria van der Heyden               4. Barend Jacobus de Klerk                             18. Daniel Wilhelmus Schoeman               9. Martha Margaretha Schoeman                       19. Anna Catharina Hattingh               2. Willem Johannes de Klerk                                   20. Douw Gerbrand Grobler               10. Jacobus Johannes Grobler                       21. Johanna Cornelia Coetzer               5. Maria Jacoba Grobler                             22. Josef Adriaan Coetzee               11. Johanna Susanna Lasya Coetzee                       23. Francina Hendrina Barendina Kruger               1. Johannes de Klerk                                         24. Henricus van Rooij               12. Johannes Cornelis van Rooy                       25. Clara Kuijpers               6. Johannes Cornelis van Rooy                             26. Charles Holsters               13. Anne Françoise Holsters                       27. Petronella de Gieter               3. Aletta Johanna van Rooy                                   28. Stephanus Albertus Smit               14. Jacobus Albertus Smit                       29. Susanna Maria de Klerk               7. Aletta Johanna Smit                             30. Jacobus Petrus Erasmus Smit               15. Aletta Johanna Smit                       31. Martha Gerbrechta Sophia de Klerk

External links

• Biography

References

Attribution

• This article contains text from the Afrikaans Wikipedia article - http://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_de_Klerk

Political offices
Preceded by John Vorster	Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences Minister of National Education 1961–1969	Succeeded by Johannes Petrus van der Spuy
Preceded by Jozua François Naudé	Minister of Home Affairs 1961–1966	Succeeded by P. K. Le Roux
Preceded by Ben Schoeman	Minister of Work 1954–1961	Succeeded by Alfred Trollip
Preceded by Ben Schoeman	Minister of Public Works 1954–1958	Succeeded by Paul Sauer
Preceded by Jozua François Naudé	President of the Senate of South Africa 1969–1976	Succeeded by Marais Viljoen