Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert: scholar, politician, progressive thinker, businessman. Van Zyl Slabbert had a significant connection with Stellenbosch University throughout his life starting from his days as a student in Wilgenhof Residence in the early 1960’s. He completed his Bachelor of Arts here, as well as his Honours in Sociology. He completed his Masters in Sociology under the supervision of Prof Dian Joubert in 1964 and later, in 1967, his PhD under Prof SP Cilliers. He also lectured in the Department of Sociology. He then held various academic teaching positions in South Africa before his political career was initiated and he famously became the youngest leader of the official opposition in our country’s history in 1979. Slabbert remained an accomplished scholar and author and published several books in his lifetime. In 1986 Slabbert resigned from Parliament and then focused his leadership on a number of significant events which would ultimately influence the history and future of our country, for example the founding of IDASA and leading the delegation of Afrikaners to Dakar in 1987. His connection with our institution, however, came full circle when he was appointed Chancellor of Stellenbosch University in 2008. This connection is of course also further perpetuated by the FVZS Institute for Student Leadership Development, launched in 2011.

Recent Submissions

  • The comfort of victimization 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010; Heribert, Adam
    Article by Heribert Adam on the comfort of victimization.
  • Voorlopige gedagtes oor toewysing van universiteite volgens onderrigtaal 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    "Demografiese, ekonomiese en onderwysdata. Tentative thoughts regarding the allotment of universities according to teaching language." Trusts FVZS’s insights; asks suggestions for follow-up actions on Du Plessis’s report.
  • Some random comments on Kas Maine 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    Review of Charles van Onselen’s The seed is mine, a biography of Kas Maine, a traditional sharecropper on the South African Highveld.
  • A Progressive odyssey towards a democratic South Africa 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    "Published: Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1991. Book review."
  • The world and SA in the 1990’s 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    "Published: Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1987. Book review."
  • South Africa under Thabo Mbeki: The challenge of democratic stability 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    "Article in book. Chapter 13, pp. 210 - 216, in: Reynolds, Andrew, (ed.). Election ’99: South Africa: from Mandela to Mbeki. Published: Cape Town: David Philip, 1999." Accompanied a by letter that asks FVZS to write ...
  • In the heart of the whore 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    "Published: Johannesburg: Southern Book Publishers, 1991. Foreword." Accompanied by a letter regarding Breyten Breytenbach no longer being able to write the foreword; asks FVZS to do it; has certain questions about the ...
  • Country of my skull 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    "Parktown: Random House South Africa, 1998. Book review."
  • A democratic South Africa?: constitutional engineering in a divided society 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    "Published: Perspectives on South Africa Series: 46. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, c.1991. Book review."
  • F.W. de Klerk: die man en sy tyd 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    "F.W. de Klerk: die man en sy tyd. Published: Cape Town: Tafelberg, 1991. Book review"
  • Die laaste trek -’n nuwe begin: die outobiografie 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    "Published: Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1998. English title: The last trek – a new beginning. London: MacMillan, 1999. Book Review."
  • Some notes on race and identity in Africa 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    Zanzibar Conference. Described by FVZS as: “… not a paper in any sense of the word, only a collection of random thoughts to stimulate discussion.”
  • How does one benchmark the transformation in South Africa? 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    Article in answer the question: “How does one benchmark the transformation in South Africa?”
  • Wat is die inhoude van die begrip African Renaissance? 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    Lecture given as part of Die Burger lecture series at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (KKNK). FVZS looks at different interpretations of the words “African” and “Renaissance”; comes to the conclusion that “African ...
  • Nelson Mandela (Insig) 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    Article about Nelson Mandela for Insig.
  • Korrupsie 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    Article for Insig about corruption in the ANC Government.
  • Verbeelding en waarheid 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    A philosophical contemplation of critical realism, postmodernism, scientific analysis and the ever present tension between imagination and truth.
  • On teleological explanations in religion and social discourse 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    Article for Kopstories on teleological explanations in religion and social discourse.
  • Threats and challenges to SA becoming a more open society 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    Published in: M. Shain (Editor): Opposing voices: Liberalism and opposition. Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball, 2006.
  • Proposed Mission for an Open Society Foundation 

    Slabbert, F. van Zyl (Frederik van Zyl), 1940-2010
    Article on the proposed mission for an open society foundation including a reply to George Soros' speech at the Budapest Conference of Open Society Foundations, June 1997.

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