SWART (Charles Robberts, 1894-1982, South African Politician, Last Governor-General of the Union of South Africa and First President of the Republic)

Fine Christmas Card With an Autograph Note Signed sending “personal good wishes and pleasant memories of a few hours happy association in ‘dark’ Africa and your kind hospitality...”, under a black and white photo of the State President and his wife, opposite a printed message of greeting in English and Africaans, 8” x 5” in folded card with crest on the front, December 1961-

In 1959, Swart was appointed Governor-General, but like his predecessor E.G Jansen, he was a staunch republican. Despite this, he had earlier kneeled before Queen Elizabeth II and kissed her hand. In a referendum the following year, a small majority of White voters endorsed a government proposal to become a republic. In 1961, after signing the new republican constitution passed by Parliament into law, he asked the Queen to release him from office, and Parliament then elected him as State President, the new post which replaced the monarch and the Governor-General as ceremonial head of state. Nelson Mandela and other underground Black resistance leaders tried to protest against the change to the new system by planning a three-day general strike of non-White workers, but the government preemptively averted most of these plans through an extensive use of police force to persecute the dissenters.

Item Date:  1962

Stock No:  42524      £125

             Add to Wish List     Order/Enquire