Constant viljoen biography

Constand Viljoen: A Boer general in Afrika

22 April 2020

Constand Viljoen, the former head of the South African Defence Force, died on 3 April 2020.

His legacy in quelling the African National Congress insurgency in South Africa and in threatening an Afrikaner revolt will remain disputed. However, the constitional order would have looked very differently if he instead of FW de Klerk had been negotiating with the ANC.

Viljoen was of average length and with steely blue eyes, soft-spoken but straight-talking.

Constant viljoen biography

When talking to him, one gained a sense of principles and precision, sometimes a twinkle of humour. Like some of the ancient Roman generals, the military and farming were his twin passions. It showed in his calloused hands and his appreciation of the sounds, smells and colours of Africa’s landscapes.

Family losses

Viljoen was born on October 1933 on a farm in Standerton.

Viljoen’s paternal grandfather, a deeply religious man, fought in the Anglo