Alwyn Louis Schlebusch (16 September 1917 – 7 January 2008) was a South African politician, the only holder of the title

Vice State President of South Africa The Vice State President of South Africa ( af, Vise-Staatspresident) was a position established between 1981 and 1984. Alwyn Schlebusch was the only holder of the position. The position was created under constitutional reforms in 1981, which abo ...

from 1 January 1982 to 14 September 1984. He was an Afrikaner with a surname of German origin. He was born in

Lady Grey, Eastern Cape Lady Grey is a rural village in the North of the Eastern Cape in South Africa near the border with Lesotho. It is situated in the foothills of the Witteberg mountains, due east of Aliwal North on the R58 road and from the capital of the Free ...

. He was the son of Charel Johannes Schlebusch and Elizabeth Cornelia Myburgh and eldest brother of Charel Johannes Schlebusch, Elsie Cornelia Schlebusch and Anna Christina Schlebusch.

Career

Schlebusch was appointed chair of the eponymous Schlebusch Commission in 1972, which had the power to cut foreign funding and seize the assets of anti-apartheid organizations, such as the Christian Institute of Southern Africa. The position of Vice State President was created when the Senate was abolished in 1981. During his tenure, Schlebusch chaired the President's Council, which advised on the creation of a new constitution. The post was abolished when the new constitution came into effect, replacing the ceremonial post of State President with an executive State President, with only provision for an Acting State President. Before holding the post, Schlebusch was mayor of

Hennenman Hennenman is a town in the Free State goldfields in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality of the Free State province of South Africa. The settlement is unusual for the district as being supported by agriculture rather than the mining industr ...

in the 1940s, before being elected to the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible gove ...

as MP for

Kroonstad Kroonstad (Afrikaans directly translated "Crown City") is the third largest city in the Free State (after Bloemfontein and Welkom) and lies two hours' drive on the N1 from Gauteng. Maokeng is an area within Kroonstad, and is occasionally used ...

from 1962 to 1980, Minister of Public Works and Immigration in 1976, and Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs in 1979. Schlebusch succeeded

Jimmy Kruger James Thomas Kruger (20 December 1917 – 9 May 1987) was a South African-born politician who was part of the conservative National Party government which championed apartheid. He rose to the position of Minister of Justice and the Police in t ...

in the portfolio and was viewed as a considerably more moderate figure, notably he was instrumental in compelling the Pretoria Bar Association to admit black lawyers. Subsequently, he held the position of Minister in the Office of the President in 1986. He died on 7 January 2008. He was survived by a son and two daughters, 14 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. His wife, Isabel, died in 1996 of cancer. She founded the "Toktokkie" cancer campaign in South Africa.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schlebusch, Alwyn 1917 births 2008 deaths Afrikaner people Chancellors of the University of Pretoria South African people of German descent University of Pretoria alumni Justice ministers of South Africa Speakers of the House of Assembly (South Africa) Ministers of Home Affairs of South Africa