Johannes de Klerk
| Jan de Klerk | |
|---|---|
 |
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| State President of South Africa (acting) | |
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In office 9 April 1975 – 19 April 1975 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Fouché |
| Succeeded by | Nico Diederichs |
| Minister of Home Affairs | |
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In office 1961–1966 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
22 July 1903 Burgersdorp, Cape Colony |
| Died | 24 January 1979 (aged 75) Krugersdorp, Transvaal Province, South Africa |
| Political party | National Party |
| Spouse(s) | Hendrina Cornelia Coetzer |
| Children | Wimpie de Klerk F. W. de Klerk |
| Alma mater | Potchefstroom University |
| Religion | Reformed |
Johannes "Jan" de Klerk, DMS (22 July 1903 – 24 January 1979) was a South African politician. He was the father of F. W. de Klerk, the last State President of South Africa.
As a member of the National Party, de Klerk served as interim State President for nine days following the retirement of Jacobus Johannes Fouché in 1975. Prior to this, he served as a Senator (1955–1975), Minister of Work and Public Works (1954–1958), Work and Mines (1958–1961), Home Affairs, Work and Immigration (1961), Home Affairs, Education and Arts and Sciences (1961–1966), Education, Arts and Sciences and Information (1966–1967) and National Education (1968–1969), and President of the Senate from 1969 to 1976.
Son of Reverend Willem de Klerk and his wife Aletta Johanna van Rooy, Jan de Klerk was born 22 July 1903 in Burgersdorp. He spent his childhood in Potchefstroom, in South-West Transvaal. Graduating from Potchefstroom University (1926) where he was the President of the Student Union, he married Hendrina Cornelia Coetzer on 27 April 1927, and had two sons, Willem Johannes (Wimpie) and Frederik Willem (F.W.).
From 1927 to 1945, Jan de Klerk worked in Nylstroom and Witwatersrand. He was headteacher of a school, and secretary of a white workers' trade union. In January 1947, he became administrative secretary of the National Party for the Rand region and in 1948, chief secretary of the NP of Transvaal. From 1949 to 1955, he was a member of the provincial council of Transvaal.
In 1954, Jan de Klerk was named senator and Minister of Work and Public Works in the government of his brother-in-law, Prime Minister JG Strijdom. This nomination provoked controversy due to the relationship between the two men.
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