# President of the Senate of South Africa

The president of the Senate presided over the Senate of South Africa, the upper house of the Parliament of South Africa. The president was chosen from among the senators at its first sitting following a general election and whenever the office was vacant. The president acted as a "referee", taking charge of debates to make sure that the senators could participate freely while keeping to the rules. The president also had managerial duties to ensure that Senate runs smoothly. Each political party in the Senate elected a chief whip to run its affairs. The presiding officers, the chief whips, and the leader of government business (the person appointed by the Cabinet to liaise with Parliament) together decided on the programme of work.
The president of the Senate had a dormant commission to become acting State President of South Africa when there was a vacancy in that office, which was often the case, especially between 1967 and 1979.
The Senate was abolished for the first time in 1980, with effect from 1 January 1981, during a process of constitutional reform, and replaced with the President's Council. The Senate was briefly reestablished under the 1993 interim constitution. The Senate was abolished for the second and final time under the 1997 constitution. The office of president of the Senate was succeeded by the office of chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.

## List of presidents (1910–1980 and 1994–1997)

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party |
| Presidents of the First Senate (1910–1980) |||||||
| 1 | | Francis William Reitz (1844–1934) | 1 November 1910 | 10 March 1921 | 10 years, 129 days | South African Party |
| 2 | | H. C. van Heerden (1862–1933) | 11 March 1921 | 30 June 1929 | 8 years, 111 days | South African Party |
| 3 | | R. A. Kerr | 19 July 1929 | 16 January 1930 | 181 days | National Party |
| 4 | | Christiaan Andries van Niekerk [af] (1874–1966) | 17 January 1930 | 18 January 1940 | 10 years, 1 day | National Party (until 1934) |
| | | Christiaan Andries van Niekerk [af] (1874–1966) | 17 January 1930 | 18 January 1940 | 10 years, 1 day | United Party (from 1934) |
| 5 | | François Stephanus Malan (1871–1941) | 19 January 1940 | 31 December 1941 (Died in office) | 1 year, 346 days | United Party |
| 6 | | Philippus Arnoldus Myburgh [af] (1880–1946) | 12 January 1942 | 31 December 1945 | 3 years, 353 days | United Party |
| 7 | | Pieter Jurie Wessels (1878–1958) | 18 January 1946 | 5 August 1948 | 2 years, 200 days | United Party |
| (4) | | Christiaan Andries van Niekerk [af] (1874–1966) | 6 August 1948 | 19 January 1961 | 12 years, 166 days | National Party |
| 8 | | Jozua François Naudé (1889–1969) | 20 January 1961 | 31 May 1969 (Died in office) | 8 years, 131 days | National Party |
| 9 | | Johannes de Klerk (1903–1979) | 6 June 1969 | January 1976 | 6 years, 6 months | National Party |
| 10 | | Marais Viljoen (1915–2007) | 23 January 1976 | 18 June 1979 | 3 years, 146 days | National Party |
| 11 | | Jimmy Kruger (1917–1987) | 19 June 1979 | 31 December 1980 | 1 year, 195 days | National Party |
| Post abolished (1 January 1981 – 20 May 1994) |||||||
| President of the Second Senate (1994–1997) |||||||
| 12 | | Kobie Coetsee (1931–2000) | 20 May 1994 | 4 February 1997 | 2 years, 260 days | National Party |