18 Facts About Constand Viljoen

Constand Viljoen co-founded the Afrikaner Volksfront and later founded the Freedom Front.

Constand Viljoen joined South Africa's pre-republic Union Defence Force at the Military Gymnasium in Voortrekkerhoogte for the Permanent Force Cadet Course of which he won the "Best Student" in 1952.

Constand Viljoen studied at the Military Academy from 1953 and graduated as Best Student in 1955 receiving a degree in military science at the University of Pretoria.

Constand Viljoen was among others Aide de Camp to Dr EG Jansen, Battery Commander at 4 Field Regiment, Instructor at the School of Artillery and Armour, OC 14 Field Regiment in Bethlehem, OC School of Artillery.

Constand Viljoen was appointed as Chief of the Army in 1977 and succeeded General Magnus Malan as Chief of the South African Defence Force in 1980.

Constand Viljoen was awarded the Master Gunner badge in 1984.

Constand Viljoen was the senior SADF military officer directing Operation Savannah in 1975.

Constand Viljoen is credited with having planned the first major airborne assault in South African military history, the Battle of Cassinga, a raid carried out against SWAPO insurgents.

Constand Viljoen is credited by some with having made overtures which helped lead to white South Africans' acceptance of universal suffrage and free elections, such as with his famous speech at the Broederbond annual assembly in Voortrekkerhoogte, saying of the black South Africans in his army,.

However, Constand Viljoen reportedly had strained relationships with the leaders of other right-wing parties, who considered him too moderate.

Immediately prior to the 1994 general elections Constand Viljoen had a force of between 50,000 and 60,000 trained paramilitary personnel at his command, with the ability to seize large sections of the country.

In March 1994, Constand Viljoen led an effort by several thousand Volksfront militia to protect the bantustan president, Lucas Mangope, in Bophuthatswana against a coup d'etat.

Constand Viljoen's decision was at least partly influenced by the mediation of his identical twin brother, Abraham Constand Viljoen, who was an anti-apartheid activist while his brother led the military.

In 2001, Constand Viljoen handed over the leadership of the Freedom Front to Pieter Mulder and retired from politics, citing his frustration working with a parliament dominated by the ANC.

In 2003, it emerged that Constand Viljoen had been a target of the Boeremag paramilitary right-wing group, which considered him a traitor who had underhandedly sold out the Afrikaner people.

Current Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald announced on 3 April 2020 that Constand Viljoen had died on his farm in Ohrigstad, Mpumalanga.

Constand Viljoen was 86 and was surrounded by his children.

Constand Viljoen is survived by his wife Christina Susanna Heckroodt, four sons and a daughter.