Profile Text
Birth Name: Jacobus Johannes Fouché
Date of Birth: 6 June, 1898
Place of Birth: Wepener, Orange Free State, South Africa
Date of Death: 23 September, 1980
Place of Death: Bellville, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Ethnicity: Afrikaner [German, Dutch, Belgian Flemish, French Huguenot, Danish, Swiss-German, Portuguese], small amounts of African [Angolan, Khoikhoi, Ethiopian], Indian [Malayali, Bengali], English, remote Timorese, Malagasy, Indonesian, Chinese, Finnish, Swedish, and Swiss-French
Jim Fouché was a South African politician. A member of the National party, he was State President of South Africa, from 10 April, 1968 to 9 April, 1975, as well as, Minister of Defence, from 14 December, 1959 to 1 April, 1966, and Minister of Agricultural Technical Services and Water Affairs, from 1966 to 1968.
He was married to Letta McDonald, with whom he had two children.
Jim’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced back to his eighth great-grandfather, Philippe Fouché, who was born in Suèvres, Loir-et-Cher, France. Some of his ancestors were slaves from present day Bangladesh, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Angola, India (Malayali), Indonesia, East Timor, and China. Jim’s tenth great-grandmother was Krotoa, also known as Eva, a Khoikhoi interpreter.
Jim’s paternal grandfather was Stephanus Phillipus Fouché (the son of Stephanus Philippus Fouché and Engela Elizabeth Hugo). Jim’s grandfather Stephanus was born in Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. Jim’s great-grandfather Stephanus was the son of Stephanus Philippus Fouché and Johanna Hendrina Grobbelaar. Jim’s great-grandmother Engela was born in Graaff-Reinet, Cape Colony, the daughter of Petrus Paulus Hugo and Catharina Adriana Smit.
Jim’s paternal grandmother was Johanna Fouché (the daughter of Gustavus Wilhelmus Fouché and Johanna Swanepoel). Johanna was born in Rouxville, Orange Free State, South Africa. Gustavus was born in Robertson, Cape Province, the son of Jacobus Paulus Fouché and Maria Magdalena Lamprecht. Johanna was born in Graaff-Reinet, Cape Colony, the daughter of Johannes Jacobus Swanepoel and Elizabeth Susanna Maria Loots.
Jim’s maternal grandfather was Rynhardt Petrus Steynberg (the son of Abraham Jacobus Steynberg and Johanna Catharina De Winnaar). Rynhardt was born in Rouxville, Orange Free State, South Africa. Abraham was born in Graaff-Reinet, Cape of Good Hope, the son of Willem Frederik Steenberg and Anna Maria Prinsloo. Jim’s great-grandmother Johanna was born in Cradock, Cape Colony, the daughter of Reynier Petrus Godlieb De Winnaar and Jacoba Susanna Coetzer.
Jim’s maternal grandmother was Elizabeth Johanna Jacomina Snyman (the daughter of Francois Jacobus Johannes Snyman and Maria Elisabeth Johanna Prinsloo). Jim’s grandmother Elizabeth was born in Rouxville, Orange Free State, South Africa. Francois was the son of Jacobus Johannes Snyman and Maria Jacoba Du Plessis. Jim’s great-grandmother Maria was born in Cradock, Cape Province, the daughter of Hendrik Frederik Prinsloo and Margaretha Susanna van der Vyver.
Jim was a second cousin, once removed, of State President of South Africa F. W. de Klerk . Jim’s paternal great-grandparents, Gustavus Wilhelmus Fouché and Johanna Swanepoel, were also F. W.’s maternal great-great-grandparents.