Constand Viljoen

Constand Viljoen SSA, SD, SOE, SM, MMM, MP
Leader of the Freedom Front Plus
In office 1 March 1994 – 26 June 2001
Succeeded by	Pieter Mulder
Member of Parliament
In office 1994–2001
President	Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki
Personal details
Born	Constand Laubscher Viljoen (1933-10-28) 28 October 1933[1] Standerton, Transvaal, South Africa
Nationality	South Africa
Political party	Freedom Front Plus
Other political affiliations	National Party (pre-1994)
Spouse(s)	Christina "Ristie" Heckroodt
Relations	Braam Viljoen (Twin brother)
Children	5
Alma mater	University of Pretoria
Religion	Dutch Reformed
Awards	Star of South Africa (SSA) Southern Cross Decoration (SD) South African Police Star for Outstanding Service (SOE) Southern Cross Medal (SM) Military Merit Medal (MMM)
Military service
Allegiance	South Africa  South Africa
Service/branch	South African Army
Years of service	1956-1985
Rank	General
Unit	4 Field Regiment School of Artillery
Commands	Chief of the SADF Chief of the SA Army Director General Operations OC SA Army College OC School of Artillery Chief Instructor Gunnery
Battles/wars	South African Border War

Constand Viljoen SSA SD SOE SM MMM MP (born 28 October 1933) is a former South African military commander and politician. He is partly credited with preventing the outbreak of armed violence by disaffected white South Africans prior to post-apartheid general elections. He is married to Christina Susanna Heckroodt and has four sons and a daughter.^[2]

Military career

Viljoen matriculated at Standerton High School in 1951. He joined South Africa's pre-republic Union Defence Force in 1956 upon receiving a degree in military science at the University of Pretoria.^[1] By 1974, Viljoen had been named the South African Army's Director of General Operations, subsequently serving as the Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the South African Defence Force. He was appointed as Chief of the Army in 1977 and succeeded Magnus Malan as SADF chief in 1980.^[3]:xv

Angolan service

Viljoen was the senior SADF military officer directing Operation Savannah in 1975. He is also credited with planning the first major airborne assault in South African military history, Cassinga, a raid carried out against SWAPO insurgents. Despite his rank, Viljoen was present during the battle,^[4] offering what was described as a "swashbuckling" front-line leadership, which won him the respect of many fellow Afrikaners.^[5]

Political career

Viljoen is credited by some with making overtures which helped lead to white South Africans' acceptance of universal suffrage and free elections, such as with his famous speech at the Broederbond annual assembly in Voortrekkerhoogte, saying of the Black South Africans in his army, As hulle kan veg vir Suid-Afrika, kan hulle stem vir Suid-Afrika! (Afrikaans: "If they can fight for South Africa, then they can vote for South Africa!").

In 1993, Viljoen and fellow retired generals formed the Afrikaner Volksfront (Afrikaner People's Front), an umbrella body for conservative Afrikaners. However, Viljoen reportedly had strained relationships with the leaders of other right-wing parties, who considered him too moderate.^[6]

Bophuthatswana action and decision to contest elections

Immediately prior to the 1994 elections Viljoen had a force of between 50,000 and 60,000 trained paramilitary personnel at his command, with the ability to seize large sections of the country.^[7][8] The force was assembled in preparation for war with Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress, as a potential contingency to protect Afrikaner interests.^[9]

In March 1994, Viljoen led an effort by several thousand Volksfront militia to protect bantustan figurehead Lucas Mangope in Bophuthatswana against a popular coup d'état.^[10] Despite being requested not to participate in the action due to their extremist views, militants of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging also advanced into Bophuthatswana, sparking clashes with the security forces.^[11]

Immediately after the incident, Viljoen split from the Volksfront^[12] and initiated a legitimate election campaign,^[13] co-founding and becoming leader of the Freedom Front (Vryheidsfront), a new political party representing white conservatives. His decision to take part in the elections is believed to have prevented armed resistance by the far right and on the occasion of his retirement from politics the South African government recognised him for preventing bloodshed.^[14]

Viljoen's decision was at least partly influenced by the mediation of his identical twin brother, Abraham (Braam) Viljoen, who was an anti-apartheid activist while his brother led the military.^[15][16]

Post-apartheid South Africa

In the election, the Freedom Front, under the leadership of Viljoen, received 2.2% of the national vote and nine seats in the National Assembly. It became the strongest party outside Nelson Mandela's Government of National Unity. Although his supporters were at odds with the government and the ANC, Viljoen praised Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his retreat from politics in 1999, even ending his Parliamentary speech with an attempt at speaking in Mandela's native language, Xhosa: Go rest in peace. Go rest in the shadow of a tree at your home.

In 2001, Viljoen handed over the leadership of the Freedom Front to Pieter Mulder and retired from politics, citing his frustration working with a parliament dominated by the ANC.^[17]

After retirement

In 2003, it emerged that Viljoen had been a target of the Boeremag paramilitary right-wing group, which considered him a traitor who had underhandedly sold out the Afrikaner people.^[18]

In 2008 Viljoen, aged 74, put up what was described as a spirited fight against two would-be muggers, who were subsequently arrested.^[19]

Awards and decorations

• Star of South Africa (SSA)

• Southern Cross Decoration (SD)

• South African Police Star for Outstanding Service (SOE)

• Southern Cross Medal (SM)

• Military Merit Medal (MMM)

• Pro Patria Medal

• Good Service Medal, Gold (30 Years)

• Good Service Medal, Silver (20 Years)

• Permanent Force Good Service Medal

• Order of the Cloud and Banner - with Grand Cordon (2nd Grade) (ORB)(Taiwan)

References

See also

• List of South African military chiefs
• South African Army

Chiefs of the South African military
List of South African military chiefs
Chief of the Union Defence Force 1912–1957	Andries Brink Pierre van Ryneveld Leonard Beyers Christiaan du Toit Hendrik Klopper Stephen Melville
Commandant General SADF 1958–1973	Stephen Melville Pieter Grobbelaar Rudolph Hiemstra Hugo Biermann
Chief of the SADF 1973–1994	Hugo Biermann Magnus Malan Constand Viljoen Johannes Geldenhuys Andreas Liebenberg Georg Lodewyk Meiring
Chief of the SANDF 1994–present	Georg Lodewyk Meiring Siphiwe Nyanda Godfrey Ngwenya Solly Shoke

Chiefs of the South African Army
List of South African military chiefs
Director-General of Land Forces	Christiaan du Toit Hendrik Klopper
Army Chief of Staff	Hendrik Klopper Pieter Grobbelaar Nick Bierman W. R. Van der Riet (acting) Sybrand Engelbrecht Petrus Jacobs Charles 'Pop' Fraser
Chief of the Army	Charles 'Pop' Fraser Willem Louw Magnus Malan Constand Viljoen Johannes Geldenhuys Andreas Liebenberg Georg Meiring Hattingh Pretorius Reginald Otto Gilbert Ramano Solly Shoke Vusumuzi Masondo