Background
Stephanus Muller was born on September 27, 1917, at Beaufort West, Cape Province.
Stephanus Muller was born on September 27, 1917, at Beaufort West, Cape Province.
Educated at Beaufort West High School and then joined South African Railways as an apprentice in 1935. Moved to Soutrivier, Cape Province, and studied on his own to gain matriculation.
He left the railways in 1944 to work in a solicitor’s office in Cape Town. Five years later he passed his law finals and started practising. He subsequently became a partner in a legal firm at Robertson, Cape Province.
After entering politics in the Cape Provincial Council in 1956, he was appointed Chairman of the Council in 1959. He was elected to Parliament for Ceres, Cape Province, in 1961.
On September 14, 1966, he became Deputy Minister of Justice, Police and Prisons. This enabled him to work closely with Prime Minister Vorster who held the portfolio of Police. In the December 1966 reshuffle he remained Deputy Minister of Police and had Finance and Economic Affairs added to it. He was promoted to the cabinet as Minister of the Interior and Police in August 1968. After the 1970 elections he became Minister of Economic Affairs and Police.
Rugged politician who reached the top by his own sweat, starting as a railway apprentice then studying at nights to become a lawyer. He lacks the finer touches but compensates in directness. Target of criticism for his handling of the student protests in July 1972, yet showed his capacity for survival in retaining his posts later that month in the biggest cabinet reshuffle for 20 years.