death_date children birth_date term_end alma_mater death_place order term_start spouse image caption predecessor birth_place party office successor religion article_title birth_name
10 september 1983 elsa willem pieter 13 december 1915 4 june 1979 2 october 1978 university of stellenbosch cape town 4th 8th 10 october 1978 13 september 1966 tini vorster john vorster.jpg president balthazar johannes vorster marais viljoen -lrb- acting -rrb- hendrik verwoerd uitenhage , cape province national party state africa president of south africa prime minister of south marais viljoen p. w. botha dutch reformed b. j. vorster
 balthazar johannes vorster
b. j. vorster

balthazar johannes vorster -lrb- ; 13 december 1915 -- 10 september 1983 -rrb- , better known as john vorster , served as the prime minister of south africa from 1966 to 1978 and as the fourth state president of south africa from 1978 to 1979 .
vorster was known for his staunch adherence to apartheid , overseeing as minister of justice the rivonia trial in which nelson mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment for , and as prime minister the terrorism act , the complete abolishment of non-white political representation , the soweto riots and the steve biko crisis .
he conducted a more pragmatic foreign policy than his predecessors in an effort to improve relations between the white minority government and south africa 's neighbours , particularly after the break-up of the portuguese colonial empire .
shortly after the internal settlement in rhodesia , in which he was instrumental , he was implicated in the muldergate scandal and resigned the premiership in favour of the ceremonial presidency , which he was forced to give up as well eight months later .
