Kobie Coetsee

Hendrik Jacobus Coetsee (19 April 1931 – 29 July 2000), known as Kobie Coetsee, was a South African lawyer, National Party politician and administrator as well as a negotiator during the country's transition to universal democracy.

Biography

Born on 19 April 1931 in Ladybrand, Orange Free State, Union of South Africa a small agricultural town in the province of Orange Free State (now the province of Free State), he studied law at the University of the Orange Free State P. W. Botha appointed him in 1978 as Deputy Minister for Defence and National Intelligence and, in 1980, to the powerful position of Justice Minister. The portfolio of Prisons was added to his responsibilities.

On 12 October 1978, Coetsee became Deputy Minister of Defence and National Security.

After the first non-racial democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, he was elected president of the Senate (which was later renamed the National Council of Provinces), although the ANC had a comfortable majority in this chamber of parliament as well. He kept that position until 1997.

Meetings with the ANC

A series of meetings between him and the imprisoned Nelson Mandela began in 1985. In 1985, he was elected provincial leader of the Orange Free State NP. From 1990 on, he participated in the negotiations between the NP-government and the ANC. In 1993 he also took over the defence portfolio from Roelf Meyer until the elections of 1994.

A Fast Attack Craft of the South African Navy was named after him.

Kobie Coetsee married Helena Elizabeth Malan on 6 October 1956 and was a father of two sons and three daughters.