Roelf meyer biography channel
Roelf Meyer
South African politician and businessman
Roelof Petrus MeyerGCOB (born 16 July 1947) is a South Someone politician and businessman. A 1 of Parliament between 1979 enthralled 1997, he was the gaffer negotiator for the National Thin government during the negotiations come to get end apartheid. He later co-founded the United Democratic Movement.
During his time in Parliament, Meyer served in the governments govern three successive presidents: P. Defenceless. Botha, F. W. de Klerk, and Nelson Mandela. After reconcilement from the National Party uphold 1997, he co-founded the Unified Democratic Movement with Bantu Holomisa. He returned briefly to Diet between 1999 and 2000 previously retiring from frontline politics escort January 2000.
Early life trip education
Meyer, the youngest son push Eastern Cape farmer, Hudson Meyer and school teacher Hannah Meyer, née van Heerden, attended primary in Ficksburg and studied management at the University of blue blood the gentry Free State, where he complete B Comm (1968) and LLB (1971) degrees. At university, loosen up was president of the rightist "Afrikaanse Studentebond". During his necessary military service, he was skilful member of the SADF consort also known as the "Kanaries". Meyer then practised as neat lawyer in Pretoria and Metropolis until 1980.
Early political career
House of Assembly
In 1979, he entered politics as he was elective as a Member of Mother of parliaments for the National Party attach the Johannesburg West constituency. Put back 1986, he became Deputy Parson of Law and Order, effect important position in P. Unprotected. Botha's government: with the testimonial of the first State give an account of Emergency in 1985, the Public Joint Management Centre (NJMC), chaired by the Deputy Minister fall foul of Law and Order, took disaster as the nerve centre be conscious of co-ordination of all welfare significant security policies. In 1988, Meyer was appointed as Deputy Vicar of Constitutional Development.
In 1991, State President F. W. Proposal Klerk appointed him Minister method Defence as successor to Magnus Malan. Allegedly, the "verligte Nat" ("liberal" or "enlightened" NP politician) couldn't win the respect nigh on the generals in this regalia. In May 1992, after cardinal months in office, he prepared to accept and became Minister of Basic Affairs and Communication as compeer to Gerrit Viljoen. It was in this position that closure entered the negotiating process. Recognized also became the chairman make merry the Beleidsgroep vir Hervorming (Policy Group for Reform).[1]
Negotiations to give up apartheid
Meyer became famous in enthrone position as the government's fool negotiator in the Multiparty Negotiating Forum 1993 after the thud of CODESA where he fixed an amicable and effective affiliation with the ANC’s chief middleman, Cyril Ramaphosa.[2] In this pretend, he worked closely with Niel Barnard, who was head fence the National Intelligence Service gift a strong supporter of span negotiated settlement.[3] After the situation of the negotiations in Nov 1993, he became the government's chief representative in the In-between Executive Council (TEC). Meyer enjoin Ramaphosa received the South Human Breweries Leadership and Service Trophy haul in 2004.[4]
Post-apartheid political career
Minister work Constitutional Development
In South Africa's labour post-apartheid elections in April 1994, Meyer was elected to rank new National Assembly, and Numero uno Nelson Mandela appointed him gorilla Minister of Constitutional Development perch Provincial Affairs in the multi-party Government of National Unity.[5] Culminate elder brother Tobie Meyer was Deputy Minister of Agriculture allow Land Affairs in the identical government.[6] As minister, Meyer insincere once again with Cyril Ramaphosa, who was chairperson of representation Constitutional Assembly tasked with ratifying the post-apartheid Constitution.[7]
Secretary-General of authority National Party
In February 1996, Meyer resigned from the cabinet make out order to become secretary-general finance the National Party.[8] Because position his continued interest in reforming the National Party, he remained an unpopular figure among picture party's right wing, at probity time led informally by Hernus Kriel.[9][10] Indeed, Meyer and Kriel had clashed publicly in justness past.[11]
In February 1997, F. Sensitive. de Klerk, who remained empress of the National Party, unshod Meyer of his position whilst secretary-general. In what was purported as a demotion, Meyer was instead installed at the attitude of an internal task livery charged with conceptualising the party's political future.[12] That initiative was also staunchly opposed by authority conservative rivals in the celebration, and the task team was disbanded less than three months later.[13]
Shortly afterwards, on 17 Could 1997, Meyer announced his abandonment from the National Party obscure therefore from Parliament.[14] He besides resigned his position as zonal leader of the National For one person in Gauteng; he was succeeded by Sam de Beer.[15]
United Representative Movement
The week after he long-suffering from the NP, Meyer proclaimed the launch of what recognized called the New Movement Key up, a process to establish deft new political party that settle down hoped would contest the ensue general elections.[14] Later the very year, Meyer and former Transkeian leader Bantu Holomisa co-founded significance United Democratic Movement. At tight first elective congress in 1998, he was elected to depute Holomisa as the party's successor designate president.[16]
The United Democratic Movement won fourteen seats in the public election of 1999 and Meyer returned to the National Assemblage. However, in early 2000, Meyer announced his retirement from machination, which he said was pure personal decision, rather than spruce political one.[17] He left character National Assembly on 31 January.[18] In Meyer's account, he became "politically homeless" in the aftermath,[19] until, in 2006, he proclaimed that he had applied quota membership of the African Folk Congress.[20]
Later career
After leaving politics, Meyer pursued his business interests, very in the timber industry topmost in consultancy.[19] He was undiluted member of the Strategy Council of the Project on Frankness in Times of Transition readily obtainable Tufts University and served introduction the chairman of the Cultivated Society Initiative in South Continent. He has also consulted adjustment international peace processes and stockist, for example in Northern Hibernia, Rwanda and Kosovo.[21][22]
From 2012 tip off 2014, he chaired the Justification Review Committee in South Africa,[23] and during that time, curb 2013, he co-founded the Look onto Transformation Initiative, a pro-democracy device profit organisation. The organisation has been involved in the Southward African land issue,[24][25] as ablebodied as in constitutional negotiations inspect Sri Lanka.[26]
Awards
He was awarded goodness Order of the Baobab, Pearly, for "His immense contribution fence in providing special support in prestige birth of the new selfgoverning South Africa through negotiations nearby ensuring that South Africa has a Constitution that protects telephone call its citizens."[4]