Jan Christiaan Heunis | |
|---|---|
| ActingState President of South Africa | |
| In office 19 January 1989 – 15 March 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Pieter Willem Botha |
| Succeeded by | Pieter Willem Botha |
| Minister of Constitutional Development | |
| In office 1982–1989 | |
| President | Pieter Willem Botha |
| Minister of Home Affairs | |
| In office 1980–1982 | |
| Prime Minister | Pieter Willem Botha |
| Minister of Transport | |
| In office February 1979 – June 1979 | |
| Minister of the Environment | |
| In office November 1978 – June 1979 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1927-04-20)20 April 1927 |
| Died | 27 January 2006(2006-01-27) (aged 78) |
| Political party | National Party |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Jan Christiaan "Chris"Heunis (locally/ˈhjɜːnɪs/),[1]DMS (20 April 1927 – 27 January 2006)[2] was a South AfricanAfrikaner lawyer, politician, member of theNational Party andcabinet minister in the governments ofJohn Vorster andP. W. Botha.
He was born in 1927 inUniondale[3] in theCape Province (now theWestern Cape). After studying inGeorge, he continued his studies in law and became a lawyer in 1951. At the same time, he pursued a political career and became head of the National Party in George District and a member of the municipal council. In 1959, he was elected to the Provincial Council.
Heunis was elected to theHouse of Assembly in 1970, and in 1974 became Minister of Indian Affairs and Tourism in the government ofJohn Vorster. In 1975, he became Minister of Economic Affairs. In 1979, as part of theP. W. Botha Government, he participated in the preparation of a new constitution, and in 1982, became Minister of Constitutional Reform. In this role, he put in place theTricameral Parliament, gave theright to vote to theColoureds andIndians, in separate chambers of theSouth African Parliament. He convinced the leader of theLabour Party,Allan Hendrickse, to agree to this reform.
During this time, he took part in confidential informal interviews inPort Elizabeth between two NP representatives, and two representatives from theANC. In September 1986, Heunis was unanimously voted leader of the NP in theCape Province, taking over from PresidentP. W. Botha.
At the beginning of 1989,[4] he assumed the functions ofState President for the interim for 100 days when P. W. Botha suffered astroke.[5] He was one of the candidates for leadership of the National Party, along withPik Botha,Barend du Plessis andFrederik de Klerk, but was beaten in the second round of elections. He narrowly avoided defeat in the 1987 election, in which he faced a challenge from former NP MP and diplomatDenis Worrall, but held the seat by 39 votes.
Later, Heunis retired from political life, and did not participate in the elections of 1989, and returned to his law practice inSomerset West with his son Jakkie Heunis. He received an honorary doctorate in philosophy from theUniversity of Stellenbosch, honorary lieutenant-colonel of the police, honorary citizen of George, decorated with the Grand Cordon of the order of theRepublic of China, and was father of four boys and one girl. He died in January 2006 in Somerset West after a long illness.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New post | Minister of Constitutional Development 1982–1989 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Home Affairs 1980–1982 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Transport 1979–1980 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Energy February–June 1979 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of the Environment November 1978 – June 1979 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Economic Affairs 1975–1980 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Tourism and Indian Affairs 1974–1975 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
