Chief Patrick Ramaano Mphephu ( 1924 – 17 April 1988) was the first

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the

bantustan A Bantustan (also known as Bantu homeland, black homeland, black state or simply homeland; ) was a territory that the National Party administration of South Africa set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (n ...

Venda Venda () was a Bantustan in northern South Africa, which is fairly close to the South African border with Zimbabwe to the north, while to the south and east, it shared a long border with another black homeland, Gazankulu. It is now part of t ...

, which was granted nominal independence from

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

on 13 September 1979. Mphephu was born in Dzanani settlement and after graduating from high school worked for the

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

City Council. A paramount chief of the

Venda people The Venḓa (VhaVenḓa or Vhangona) are a Southern African Bantu people living mostly near the South African- Zimbabwean border. The history of the Venda starts from the Kingdom of Mapungubwe (9th Century) where King Shiriyadenga was the ...

, he was appointed Chairman of the Ramabulana Regional Authority in 1959, Chief Counsellor of the Venda Legislative Assembly on 1 June 1971 and Chief Minister of the two discontiguous territories on 1 February 1973 when South Africa first implemented the black homeland policy. Mphephu was reelected in elections in August 1973 and his title changed to president upon independence. As President, he was also leader of the Venda National Party, the only recognized political party in the new state. Mphephu died in office and was replaced by his finance minister, Chief Frank Ravele.

References

1920s births 1988 deaths Presidents of Venda Heads of state of Venda People from Makhado Local Municipality South African Venda people {{Limpopo-politician-stub