Connie Mulder

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Connie Mulder, born Cornelius Petrus Mulder (5 June 1925–12 January 1988, Johannesburg), was a South African politician and minister.

He was an Afrikaans and German history professor at Rand Afrikaans University and obtained his PhD from Witwatersrand University.

A married father of four, Mulder was a National Party member and elected Randfontein mayor. In 1958, he was elected deputy. John Vorster named him information minister in 1968 and later education minister.

Seen as Vorster's successor, Mulder appeared to be a future prime minister. In 1977, however, the Muldergate Scandal ended all possibility of his holding a higher office and also made Vorster fail one year later. In 1978, Mulder lost a National Party internal election against Pieter Botha, but remained in the new government.

Later in 1988 he was once again elected to Parliament, this time as a representative of the Conservative Party, which he helped found. However he died from cancer before he could return to parliament.