CR Swart

Date: 16 July, 1982

On 16 July 1982 the first State President of the Republic of South Africa, Charles Robberts (Blackie) Swart,died in Bloemfontein.Swart served as the last Governor-General of the Union of South Africa from 1960 to 1961 and the first State President of the Republic of South Africa from 1961 to 1967.

Born in the Orange Free State (now known as Free State), he qualified as an attorney, and spent a brief period in Hollywood, acting in silent films, before embarking on politics. As a staunch republican, Swart was a member of the National Party (NP) for a number of years. He served as the Minister of Justice when the NP won the 1948 election, and was responsible for legislation to strengthen the powers of the South African Police to curtail anti-apartheid activities.

When Swart was appointed Governor-General in 1960 he refused, like his predecessor, Dr Jansen, to take the oath of loyalty to Queen Elizabeth II or to wear the ceremonial uniform. In a referendum later in 1960, White voters endorsed a government proposal to establish a republic. In 1961, after signing the new republican constitution passed by Parliament, Swart asked the Queen to release him from office and Parliament then elected him as State President. Swart died in 1982 in his home town of Bloemfontein.

References:

Anon, (n.d.), ‘BALLOONS OVER AFRICA Hot Air Ballooning in Hazyview, Lowveld & Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa’from Africam [online] Available at www.africam.com[Accessed: 08 July 2011]

Anon, (n.d.), ‘Charles Robberts (Blackie) Swart’from South African History Online [online] Available at www.sahistory.org.za[Accessed: 14 June 2011]