South Africa–United States relations a joint session of Congress. In September, de Klerk visited Washington, the first official state visit by a South African leader. Mandela was subsequently elected President of South Africa, and U.S. Vice President Al Gore and First Lady Hillary Clinton attended his inauguration in Pretoria in May 1994. In October of that year, Mandela returned to Washington for a state dinner hosted by U.S. President Bill Clinton. President Clinton visited South Africa in March 1998, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president visited the country. Since Clinton's visit, two of his successors have visited the country: President George W.
President of the Senate of South Africa President of the Senate of South Africa The President of the Senate presided over the Senate of South Africa, the upper house of the Parliament of South Africa. The President was chosen from among the Senators at its first sitting following a general election and whenever the office was vacant. The President acted as a "referee", taking charge of debates to make sure that the Senators could participate freely while keeping to the rules. The President also had managerial duties to ensure that Senate runs smoothly. Each political party in the Senate elected a chief whip to run its affairs.