16 July 1947
Roelf Meyer, former politician and National Party (NP) negotiator at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) is born. Together with Cyril Ramaphosa, Roelf Meyer paved the way for fully democratic elections in 1994, in the manner they negotiated for a peaceful political settlement between the key major political parties, namely the NP and the African National Congress (ANC). Former Sate President Nelson Mandela rewarded Meyer with the Ministry of Constitutional Development, a post he previous held under the apartheid regime. In 1997, Meyer and Bantu Holomisa formed the United Democratic Movement (UDM), where he served as Deputy President. In 2000 he bowed out of politics in order to concentrate on other business ventures he had undertaken. Source: Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.