John Vorster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
B. J. Vorster
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| 4th State President of South Africa | |
| In office 10 October 1978 – 4 June 1979 |
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| Prime Minister | P. W. Botha |
| Preceded by | Marais Viljoen (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Marais Viljoen |
| 7th Prime Minister of South Africa | |
| In office 13 September 1966 – 2 October 1978 |
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| President | Charles Robberts Swart Tom Naudé (Acting) Jacobus Johannes Fouché Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs Marais Viljoen (Acting) |
| Preceded by | Theophilus Dönges |
| Succeeded by | P. W. Botha |
| Minister of Police | |
| In office 1 April 1966 – 9 August 1968 |
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| Prime Minister | Hendrik Verwoerd Himself |
| Preceded by | Office established Himself as Minister of Justice |
| Succeeded by | Lourens Muller |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 8 October 1961 – 14 September 1966 |
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| Prime Minister | Hendrik Verwoerd |
| Preceded by | Frans Erasmus |
| Succeeded by | Petrus Cornelius Pelser |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Balthazar Johannes Vorster
13 December 1915 Jamestown, Cape Province, Union of South Africa |
| Died | 10 September 1983 (aged 67) Cape Town, Cape Province, Republic of South Africa |
| Political party | National Party |
| Spouse |
Tini Malan
(m. 1941) |
| Children | Elizabeth (Elsa) Vorster Willem Carel Vorster Pieter Andries Vorster |
| Alma mater | University of Stellenbosch |
Balthazar Johannes "B. J." Vorster (13 December 1915 – 10 September 1983) was a South African politician. He served as the prime minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978. Later, he became the state president of South Africa from 1978 to 1979. He was also known as John Vorster later in his career.
Vorster strongly supported apartheid, which was a system of racial segregation in South Africa. As Minister of Justice, he oversaw the Rivonia Trial, where Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. As Prime Minister, he continued to enforce apartheid laws. This included removing the last political representation for non-white people. He also led during the Soweto Riots and the Steve Biko crisis. Vorster tried to improve South Africa's relationships with nearby countries. This was especially true after the end of colonial rule in Angola and Mozambique. He resigned as Prime Minister in 1978 due to a financial scandal. He then became State President but had to resign from that role too, eight months later.
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B. J. Vorster's Early Life
Vorster was born in 1915 in Jamestown, in the Cape Province of the Union of South Africa. He was the fifteenth child of a sheep farmer. He went to primary school in Jamestown.
Education and Early Career
Vorster studied law at Stellenbosch University. This university was very important for the development of Afrikaner culture and Afrikaner nationalism. Many future South African prime ministers studied there. Vorster was active in student politics. He became the chairman of the debating society and a leader in the junior National Party.
In 1938, Vorster became a clerk for a judge in the Supreme Court. He later started his own law practices in Port Elizabeth and Brakpan.
Vorster's Political Journey
Joining the Ossewabrandwag
From 1939, Vorster became known for opposing South Africa joining the Allies in World War II. He was against fighting alongside the United Kingdom. Many people in the National Party hoped Germany would win the war because of their anti-British feelings.
Vorster joined an anti-British group called the Ossewabrandwag (Ox-wagon Sentinel). This group was formed in 1938. The Ossewabrandwag carried out acts of sabotage during World War II to limit South Africa's war efforts. Vorster said he did not take part in these acts. He stated he was anti-British, not pro-Nazi. He was held in a detention camp in 1942 for his anti-British actions.
After his release in 1944, Vorster became active in the National Party. This party began to put the policy of apartheid into action in 1948. Apartheid made racial discrimination a formal law.
Entering Parliament
In 1953, Vorster was elected to the House of Assembly. He represented the area of Nigel in the Transvaal. He became a Deputy Minister in 1958. He served as a Member of Parliament under several prime ministers.
His past anti-British actions were sometimes brought up by his critics. Vorster responded by saying he now believed in the parliamentary system.
Leading South Africa
Minister of Justice and Prime Minister
In 1961, Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd appointed Vorster as Minister of Justice. Verwoerd was a strong supporter and mentor to Vorster. In 1966, Vorster also became Minister of Police and Prisons.
After Verwoerd was assassinated in 1966, Vorster was chosen by the National Party to become Prime Minister. He continued to put apartheid laws into effect. This included removing the last four parliamentary seats reserved for white representatives of Coloured (mixed-race) voters in 1968.
Despite this, Vorster's government did drop some proposed laws. They also changed rules about multi-racial sports teams. This was to allow South Africa to compete in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico. However, many African nations protested, and South Africa was not allowed to compete.
Vorster's Approach to Leadership
People described Vorster as more "flesh and blood" than Verwoerd. He was known for being more approachable. For example, he would sometimes talk privately with the opposition. He also allowed pictures of himself in unusual situations to be shared. He even welcomed foreigners to what he called "the happiest police state in the world." This new style of leadership was called "billikheid," meaning "sweet reasonableness."
He upset some extreme members of his party when he allowed Māori players and spectators during the New Zealand national rugby union team tour in South Africa in 1970.
Foreign Policy
Vorster was more practical than previous leaders when it came to foreign policy. He worked to improve relationships with other African nations. He allowed Black African diplomats to live in white areas in South Africa.
He supported, but did not officially recognize, the neighboring country of Rhodesia. Rhodesia's white minority government had declared independence from the UK in 1965. Vorster supported Rhodesia publicly because of white public opinion in South Africa. However, he did not want to upset important allies like the United States by officially recognizing Rhodesia.
In 1975, Portuguese rule ended in Angola and Mozambique. This left South Africa and Rhodesia as the only places with white minority rule in Africa. Vorster realized that white rule could not last forever in South Africa, where black people greatly outnumbered white people.
In 1976, he was pressured by US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Vorster then pushed Ian Smith, the Prime Minister of Rhodesia, to accept that white minority rule could not continue. Smith and black nationalist leaders signed an agreement in 1978. In 1979, after elections, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe Rhodesia under black majority rule.
End of Political Career
State President and Retirement
Vorster resigned as Prime Minister in 1978 after twelve years. P. W. Botha took over from him. Botha began some changes to the apartheid system. After resigning as Prime Minister, Vorster was elected to the mostly honorary role of State President.
However, his time as State President was short. He was involved in a financial scandal known as the Muldergate Scandal. A special investigation found that Vorster "knew everything" about the corruption. He resigned from the state presidency in disgrace in 1979. In 1982, John Vorster supported the Conservative Party. He passed away in 1983 at the age of 67.
Vorster's Legacy
During the apartheid era, some places were named after B. J. Vorster. For example, Stellenbosch University named a building after him. This was after they took land from mixed-race residents using the Group Areas Act. The building was renamed in the 1990s.
The Johannesburg Central Police Station was once called John Vorster Square. It was where South Africa's Special Branch, a police unit, was located during apartheid.
Depiction on Coins
B. J. Vorster's image appeared on the front of several South African coins from 1982. These included the 1/2 Cent to 1 Rand coins.
Images for kids
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John Vorster
See also
In Spanish: B. J. Vorster para niños
