Leon Wessels

Leon Wessels (born 19 April 1946)[1] is a South African lawyer, politician, and activist who served in the white minority National Party government during the apartheid years[2] and was one of very few Afrikaner politicians to show public contrition for the acts of that government.[3]

Leon Wessels
Minister of Local Government
In office
1992–1993
Preceded byAmie Venter
Succeeded byTertius Delport
Minister of Planning and Provincial Affairs
Preceded byHernus Kriel
Personal details
Born (1946-04-19) 19 April 1946
Kroonstad, South Africa
Alma materPotchefstroom University
Rand Afrikaans University

Education

Like FW de Klerk[4] he attended Hoërskool Monument in Krugersdorp, South Africa. After matriculating from that school in 1963 Wessels went on to obtain amongst others the Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from the Potchefstroom University in 1972 and in 2001 the Doctor of Law (LLD) degree from the Rand Afrikaans University. While an undergraduate he was chairman of Potchefstroom's Students' Representative Council (SRC) and from 1971 to 1973 president of the Afrikaner Studentebond (ASB) a student organisation in which many white leaders served their political apprenticeships.

Apartheid-era politician

Wessels entered national politics in 1977 when he was elected National Party member of parliament (MP) for the Krugersdorp constituency, an Afrikaner stronghold. Though increasingly identified as a verligte (a member of the party's more liberal wing) over the next two decades he rose through party ranks to become a Cabinet member, ending this chapter of his political career in the last apartheid administration as Minister of Local Government, National Housing and Manpower.

After apartheid

At the hearings of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission into illegal acts of the country's security forces, Wessels – a former Deputy Law and Order Minister – acknowledged: "I do not believe the political defence of `I did not know' is available to me because in many respects I believe I did not want to know".[5]

In 1999[6] he was appointed to the South African Human Rights Commission where he was responsible for monitoring the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000, a law central to ensuring transparency in government, business and civil society.[7]

Personal

His wife, Tersia Wessels became a member of the Gauteng provincial legislature representing the Congress of the People in 2009.[8]

References
  1. "Wessels, Leon". Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  2. O'Malley, Padraig. "Leon Wessels: The Good Boer". Book. Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and Dialogue. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  3. Macdonald, Ian. "Many feet to wash". Online article. South Africa The Good News. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  4. "Members". The Prague Society. Archived from the original on 12 May 2003. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  5. South African Press Association (15 October 2000). "Wessels admits NP failures in frank TRC submission". Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  6. Critically reflecting on an institutional journey 2002–2009. Parktown, Johannesburg: The South African Human Rights Commission. 2009. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-919763-30-9.
  7. South Africa Info. "Access to information guide". Brand South Africa. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  8. Joubert, Jan–Jan. "Partye beroep hul op ou politieke strydrosse vir verkiesing". Newspaper article in Afrikaans. Beeld. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
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