Charles Robberts Swart

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Charles Robberts Swart (1894-1982) was 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 Boer republic of the Orange Free State (which became a British colony in 1902 and a province of the Union of South Africa in 1910), Swart qualified as an attorney, and spent a brief period in Hollywood, acting in silent films, before embarking on his public career. As a staunch republican, he was a member of the National Party for many years. He was appointed Minister of Justice when the NP came to power in 1948, and was responsible for legislation to strengthen the powers of the South African Police to suppress anti-apartheid activity.

Swart was appointed Governor-General in 1960. Like his predecessor, Dr Jansen, he declined to take the oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II or to wear the ceremonial uniform. In a referendum later that year, a small majority of White voters endorsed a government proposal to establish a republic. In 1961, after signing the new republican constitution passed by Parliament, he asked the Queen to release him from office, and Parliament then elected him as State President, the new post which replaced the monarch and the governor-general as ceremonial head of state.

Although elected for a seven-year term office, Swart served as State President for only six years, and retired in 1967. He died in 1982. Swart was popularly known as "Blackie" (Swart is Afrikaans for "black").


Preceded by
Lucas Cornelius Steyn
Governor-General of South Africa
1959–1961
Succeeded by
Preceded by
State President of South Africa
1961–1967
Succeeded by
Jozua François Naudé


Governors-General of the Union of South Africa
The Viscount Gladstone | The Viscount Buxton | HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught | The Earl of Athlone | The Earl of Clarendon | Sir Patrick Duncan | Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet | Gideon Brand van Zyl | Ernest George Jansen | Lucas Cornelius Steyn | Charles Robberts Swart
Presidents of South Africa
 1961-1994  ceremonial: Charles Robberts Swart | Jozua François Naudé (acting) | Jacobus Johannes Fouché | Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs | Marais Viljoen (acting) | B.J. Vorster | Marais Viljoen | executive: Pieter Willem Botha | Frederik Willem de Klerk
 1994–  Nelson Mandela | Thabo Mbeki