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1 Ceremonial post

The Republic of South Africa was proclaimed on May 31st 1961. Charles Robberts Swart, the last Governor-General, was sworn in as the first State President. Like Paul Kruger, and presidents of the Boer republics the State President wore a sash with the Republic's coat of arms, and performed mainly ceremonial duties. The ruling National Party decided against having an executive presidency, instead adopting a minimalist approach, as a conciliatory gesture to English-speaking white South Africans who were opposed to a republic. Like Governors-General before them, State Presidents were retired National Party ministers, and consequently, white, Afrikaner, and male.

2 Executive post

Following constitutional reforms in 1984This page is about the year 1984. For other uses of 1984, see 1984 (disambiguation). 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday (link shows calendar). Events January January 1 Brunei becomes a fully independent state January 1 AT&T is broken up into 22 indepe, the office of State President became an executive post, as in the United StatesThe United States of America also referred to as the United States U. America ¹ or the States is a federal republic in central North America, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It shares land borders with Canada in, and the office of Prime Minister of South Africa was abolished. P. W. BothaPieter Willem Botha (born January 12, 1916) commonly known as "P. and as die groot krokodil (the great crocodile) was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and State President of South Africa from 1984 to 1989. Botha was a longtime supporter of became the new State President, until his resignation in 19891989 is a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 7 Akihito becomes Emperor of Japan following the death of Hirohito. The Heisei period begins January 8 the Kegworth Air Disaster A British Midland Boeing 737 cra, when he was replaced by F. W. de Klerk, who oversaw the transition to majority rule in 1994.

3 End of white minority rule

Under South Africa's first non-racial Constitution, adopted in 1994, the head of state (and of government) was known simply as the President. Nelson Mandela, leader of the African National Congress, was sworn in as President on May 11, 1994.