Marais Viljoen
- January 4, 2007
- 91 years
- heart failure
About Marais Viljoen
Marais Viljoen, 91, South African president (1979–1984), heart failure.
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60 Seconds Life Story
Marais Viljoen served as the final ceremonial State President of South Africa.
Marais Viljoen
1979 – 2007
60 Seconds: Marais Viljoen's Life Story
A documentary summary of the career and legacy of the final ceremonial State President of South Africa, Marais Viljoen.
Transcript
Marais Viljoen served as the final ceremonial State President of South Africa. Born in 1915, he began his working life in the Post Office before transitioning to journalism at Die Transvaler. He later entered politics, eventually serving as the MP for Alberton. By 1979, Viljoen stepped into the role of State President, a position he held for five years. His tenure as a ceremonial head of state concluded in 1984 as the government transitioned to an executive presidency under P.W. Botha. In later years, he was honored with a namesake high school in Alberton and featured on the 1985 1 Rand coin. Marais Viljoen died of heart failure on January 4, 2007, at the age of 91, and was subsequently laid to rest following a state funeral.
Play the illustrated life story above, or read the full biography on this page.
Visual credits: Nationaal Archief The Netherlands 927-6833 (CC0) · Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Own work (Public domain) · United States Federal Government (Official White House photo) (Public domain) · Morne on https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%AAer:PW_Botha_1962.jpg (Public domain) · U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (Public domain) · Nationaal Archief The Netherlands 927-6833 (CC0)
An illustrated presentation assembled inside the archive from the approved script and the credited images: narration, scene transitions and captions. Caption timing is estimated from the narration.
Narrated illustration. Images are sourced and credited; they are not presented as authenticated photographs.
Full Biography
|Marais Viljoen, DMS (2 December 1915 – 4 January 2007) was a South African politician who served as the last ceremonial State President of South Africa from 4 June 1979 until 3 September 1984. Viljoen became the last of the ceremonial presidents of South Africa when he was succeeded in 1984 by Prime Minister P. W. Botha, who combined the offices into an executive state presidency.
Early life
Viljoen was the youngest of six children of Magdalena Debora "Lenie" (de Villiers) and Gabriel Francois Viljoen. He was married on 20 April 1940 to Dorothea Maria Brink (17 September 1917 – 5 October 2005), with whom he had one daughter Elizabeth Magdalena (Elna) Viljoen.
After finishing school at Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town, he went to work in the Post Office, and thereafter at the Afrikaans language newspaper, Die Transvaler, edited by Hendrik Verwoerd, who later became prime minister.
Early political career
Viljoen was elected to the House of Assembly as MP for Alberton, near Johannesburg, as President of the Senate, and as acting State President from 21 August 1978 to 10 October 1978, when B.J. Vorster was briefly elected to the position. Viljoen was seen as a relatively-moderate member of the National Party, which instituted apartheid.
State Presidency
After Vorster's resignation as a result of the Muldergate Scandal in 1979, Viljoen held the post of non-executive State President from 4 June 1979 until 3 September 1984. The State Presidency during this time was a ceremonial post, like that of the Governor-General, which it replaced in 1961.
Under the 1983 Constitution, the last under apartheid, the position of the State President was changed to a more powerful executive position. Viljoen retired and was replaced by P. W. Botha, who until 1984 had been the executive Prime Minister. After Viljoen had retired from public life, he continued to maintain an interest in politics.
Depiction on a coin
He is depicted on the obverse of the 1985 1 Rand coin.
Legacy
Hoërskool Marais Viljoen which was opened by Viljoen in 1961 ,while he served as MP for Alberton, is named after him.
Death
Viljoen died on 4 January 2007 of heart failure. He received a state funeral on 13 January 2007.
Ancestry
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marais_Viljoen
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Marais Viljoen's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the name of the daughter of Marais Viljoen?
- A.Dorothea Maria
- B.Lenie de Villiers
- C.Magdalena Debora
- D.Elizabeth Magdalenacorrect
Marais Viljoen had one daughter named Elizabeth Magdalena (Elna) Viljoen.
Source: early life section
2.Which political party did Marais Viljoen belong to?
- A.The National Partycorrect
- B.The Unionist Party
- C.The Labour Party
- D.The Liberal Party
Marais Viljoen was a member of the National Party.
Source: early political career section
3.On what date was Marais Viljoen born?
- A.17 September 1917
- B.20 April 1940
- C.2 December 1915correct
- D.4 January 2007
Marais Viljoen was born on 2 December 1915.
Source: biography introduction
4.Who was the editor of the newspaper where Marais Viljoen worked?
- A.P. W. Botha
- B.B. J. Vorster
- C.Hendrik Verwoerdcorrect
- D.Gabriel Francois Viljoen
Marais Viljoen worked at Die Transvaler, which was edited by Hendrik Verwoerd.
Source: early life section
5.How many children were in the family of Marais Viljoen?
- A.Seven
- B.Sixcorrect
- C.Four
- D.Five
Marais Viljoen was the youngest of six children.
Source: early life section
6.On what date did Marais Viljoen marry Dorothea Maria Brink?
- A.4 June 1979
- B.13 January 2007
- C.20 April 1940correct
- D.3 September 1984
Marais Viljoen married Dorothea Maria Brink on 20 April 1940.
Source: early life section
7.Which high school did Marais Viljoen attend?
- A.Cape Town Academy
- B.Jan van Riebeeck High Schoolcorrect
- C.Hoërskool Marais Viljoen
- D.Alberton High School
Marais Viljoen finished school at Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town.
Source: early life section
8.Marais Viljoen represented which constituency as a Member of Parliament?
- A.Cape Town
- B.Johannesburg
- C.Pretoria
- D.Albertoncorrect
Marais Viljoen was elected to the House of Assembly as MP for Alberton.
Source: early political career section
9.When did Marais Viljoen serve his first term as acting State President?
- A.4 June 1979 to 3 September 1984
- B.1984 to 1985
- C.21 August 1978 to 10 October 1978correct
- D.1961 to 1965
Marais Viljoen served as acting State President from 21 August 1978 to 10 October 1978.
Source: early political career section
10.Who succeeded Marais Viljoen as State President in 1984?
- A.P. W. Bothacorrect
- B.Gabriel Francois Viljoen
- C.B. J. Vorster
- D.Hendrik Verwoerd
Marais Viljoen was succeeded by P. W. Botha in 1984.
Source: biography introduction
11.What event led to B. J. Vorster's resignation in 1979?
- A.Health complications
- B.The Muldergate Scandalcorrect
- C.His election as Prime Minister
- D.The 1983 Constitution
B. J. Vorster resigned as a result of the Muldergate Scandal in 1979.
Source: state presidency section
12.What specific type of state presidency did Marais Viljoen hold from 1979 to 1984?
- A.Prime Minister
- B.Executive State President
- C.Ceremonial State Presidentcorrect
- D.Military President
Marais Viljoen held the post of non-executive, or ceremonial, State President.
Source: state presidency section
13.In what year was Hoërskool Marais Viljoen opened?
- A.1979
- B.1961correct
- C.2007
- D.1984
Hoërskool Marais Viljoen was opened by Marais Viljoen in 1961.
Source: legacy section
14.Marais Viljoen is depicted on the obverse of which coin?
- A.1984 5 Rand
- B.2007 10 Rand
- C.1979 2 Rand
- D.1985 1 Randcorrect
Marais Viljoen is depicted on the obverse of the 1985 1 Rand coin.
Source: depiction on a coin section
15.What was the cause of Marais Viljoen's death?
- A.Heart failurecorrect
- B.A stroke
- C.An accident
- D.Old age
Marais Viljoen died on 4 January 2007 of heart failure.
Source: death section
16.On what date did Marais Viljoen receive a state funeral?
- A.13 January 2007correct
- B.5 January 2007
- C.17 January 2007
- D.4 January 2007
Marais Viljoen received a state funeral on 13 January 2007.
Source: death section
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