Editing Christiaan Willem Smuts

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| colspan="2" style="font-size:130%;" align="center" | '''The Honourable Christiaan Willem Smuts'''
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| align="center" colspan="2" | http://nationsonline.planegate.com/wiki/images/5/59/South_Africa_PM.PNG
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| colspan="2" | <hr>
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| colspan="2" align="center" | '''[[South_Africa#Prime_Minister|Prime Minister of the]] [[South Africa|Republic of South Africa]]'''
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| colspan="2" align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" | '''In office'''<br>September 19, 2004 — present
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| style="font-size: 90%;" | '''Political party''' || style="font-size: 90%;" | United Party
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| style="font-size: 90%; width: 33%;" | '''Preceded by''' || style="font-size: 90%;" | Thabo Mbeki
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| style="font-size: 90%;" | '''Succeeded by''' || style="font-size: 90%;" | Incumbent
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| colspan="2" | <hr>
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| style="font-size: 90%;" | '''Born''' || style="font-size: 90%;" | April 3, 1956<br>Port Elizabeth, Cape Province, South Africa
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| style="font-size: 90%;" | '''Spouse''' || style="font-size: 90%;" | Elisabeth Smuts
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| style="font-size: 90%;" | '''Profession''' || style="font-size: 90%;" | Politician, lawyer, university professor
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| style="font-size: 90%;" | '''Religion''' || style="font-size: 90%;" | Dutch Reformed
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| style="font-size: 90%;" | '''Languages''' || style="font-size: 90%;" | Afrikaans, Dutch, English, French
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'''The Honourable Christiaan Willem Smuts''' (b. April 3, 1956) is the current Prime Minister of the Republic of South Africa and leader of the United Party. He has served as the former since September 19, 2004 and in the latter since 2002.

==Early life==
Smuts's father, Pieter, was reportedly a distant cousin of the famous South African statesman Jan Smuts (though no concrete evidence exists to support this, and most historians believe it to be false). His mother, Kim, was a Dutch nurse who emigrated to South Africa in her late teens. Pieter was a career military officer who fought with distinction and courage during the Second World War and returned from that conflict with a resolutely anti-racist outlook, having witnessed firsthand the barbarity of the National Socialist regime. As such, Pieter was vocal in his support of the liberal/progressive wing of the ruling United Party, particularly men such as Jan Hofmeyr, with whom he became casual friends.

His father and mother met in 1948 and married on June 6, 1950; six years later, Christiaan was born. He was an only child.

to be continued

[[Category:National leaders|Smuts, Christiaan Willem]]
[[Category:South African characters|Smuts, Christiaan Willem]]