Gerrit Viljoen
Encyclopedia
Gerrit Van Niekerk Viljoen (September 11, 1926 – March 29, 2009) was a South Africa
n government minister and member of the National Party
.
He was chair of the Broederbond from 1974 to 1980, Administrator-General of South West Africa
from 1979 to 1980, Minister of Education in South Africa from 1980 to 1989, and Minister of Constitutional Development from 1989 to 1992.
in 1926, the son of Helena and Hendrik Geldenhuys Viljoen, the editor of Huisgenoot
magazine. He went to school in Pretoria and continued at the University of Pretoria
. Here he was elected to the Student Representative Council and in 1948 was a founder of the Union of Afrikaans students.
He studied classical literature and philosophy at the University of Cambridge
, then at the University of Leiden. On returning to South Africa, he worked at the University of Pretoria and in 1967 was named vice-chancellor of the Rand Afrikaans University
.
as chair of the Broederbond, an influential organisation of Afrikaner
s, of which almost all South African government ministers of the time were members.
In 1979, he was appointed Aadministrator-General of South West Africa, and in 1980 joined the government of P.W. Botha as Minister for Education.
In 1989, he became Minister of Constitutional Development in the government of F.W. de Klerk. As a senior ideologue and spokesman of the National Party, he investigated several constitutional models for a "new South Africa", and took part in the first official negotiations with the African National Congress
in May 1990 after the release of political prisoners including Nelson Mandela
. During the CODESA negotiations he championed the idea of "group rights", differentiating them from "individual rights", and saw them as a way to entrench the rights of South African groups, including the white minority. He retired from politics and government in 1992 for reasons of health.
Gerrit Viljoen was the father of seven children.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n government minister and member of the National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
.
He was chair of the Broederbond from 1974 to 1980, Administrator-General of South West Africa
South West Africa
South-West Africa was the name that was used for the modern day Republic of Namibia during the earlier eras when the territory was controlled by the German Empire and later by South Africa....
from 1979 to 1980, Minister of Education in South Africa from 1980 to 1989, and Minister of Constitutional Development from 1989 to 1992.
Early life
He was born in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
in 1926, the son of Helena and Hendrik Geldenhuys Viljoen, the editor of Huisgenoot
Huisgenoot
Huisgenoot is a weekly Afrikaans-language general interest family magazine. It has the highest circulation figures of any South African magazine and is followed by sister magazine YOU, its English language version. A third magazine, Drum, is directed at the black market...
magazine. He went to school in Pretoria and continued at the University of Pretoria
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
. Here he was elected to the Student Representative Council and in 1948 was a founder of the Union of Afrikaans students.
He studied classical literature and philosophy at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, then at the University of Leiden. On returning to South Africa, he worked at the University of Pretoria and in 1967 was named vice-chancellor of the Rand Afrikaans University
Rand Afrikaans University
The Rand Afrikaans University ' was a prominent South African institution of higher education and research that served the greater Johannesburg area and surrounds in from 1967 to 2004...
.
Political career
In 1974, he succeeded Andries TreurnichtAndries Treurnicht
Andries Petrus Treurnicht was a South African politician, Minister of Education during the Soweto Riots and for a short time leader of the National Party in Transvaal...
as chair of the Broederbond, an influential organisation of Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
s, of which almost all South African government ministers of the time were members.
In 1979, he was appointed Aadministrator-General of South West Africa, and in 1980 joined the government of P.W. Botha as Minister for Education.
In 1989, he became Minister of Constitutional Development in the government of F.W. de Klerk. As a senior ideologue and spokesman of the National Party, he investigated several constitutional models for a "new South Africa", and took part in the first official negotiations with the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
in May 1990 after the release of political prisoners including Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
. During the CODESA negotiations he championed the idea of "group rights", differentiating them from "individual rights", and saw them as a way to entrench the rights of South African groups, including the white minority. He retired from politics and government in 1992 for reasons of health.
Gerrit Viljoen was the father of seven children.
External links
- Gerrit Viljoen on SA History Online