Jacobus Johannes "Jim" Fouché, (6 June 1898 – 23 September 1980Jacobus Johannes Fouché
archontology.org), also known as J. J. Fouché, was a South African politician who served as the second

state president of South Africa The State President of the Republic of South Africa ( af, Staatspresident) was the head of state of South Africa from 1961 to 1994. The office was established when the country became a republic on 31 May 1961, albeit, outside the Commonweal ...

from 1968 to 1975.

Early life

He was born in the

Boer Boers ( ; af, Boere ()) are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape Colony, Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controll ...

republic of the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...

in 1898 (which became a British colony in 1902 and a province of the

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Trans ...

in 1910) and matriculated at

Paarl Boys' High School Paarl Boys' High School, known in Afrikaans as Hoër Jongenskool Paarl (also known as Boishaai) is one of the oldest schools in South Africa, built in 1868. The school is situated in Paarl, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The ...

Career

Fouché was a successful farmer. A staunch republican, he was a member of the National Party for many years, first 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 governme ...

as MP for Smithfield from 1941 to 1950, and as MP for Bloemfontein West between 1960 and 1968. Fouché served as Administrator of the Orange Free State from 1950 to 1959, and was then promoted to the Cabinet, where he served as

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from coun ...

from 14 December 1959 to 1 April 1966 and as Minister of Agricultural Technical Services and Water Affairs from 1966 to 1968. He was elected State President in place of Ebenhaezer Dönges (who had been elected, but died before he could take office), and served as ceremonial head of state from 1968 to 1975. He was the only State President to complete a full term in office.

Family

Fouché married Letta Rhoda ('Lettie') McDonald. They had two children.

Depiction on coins

He is depicted on the following

coins of the South African rand The coins of the South African rand are part of the physical form of South Africa's currency, the South African rand. 1961–1964 The rand was introduced in the then Union of South Africa on 14 February 1961, shortly before the establish ...

; 1976 1/2 Cent to 50 Cents.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fouche, Jacobus Johannes 1898 births 1980 deaths People from Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Orange Free State people Afrikaner people Herenigde Nasionale Party politicians National Party (South Africa) politicians State Presidents of South Africa Defence ministers of South Africa Members of the House of Assembly (South Africa)