P. W. Botha

Peter William Botha (12 January 1916 – 31 October 2006) was a South African politician of Dutch descent.

Botha was the last Prime Minister of South Africa. In 1984, the office was abolished. After that, he served as the first President. During his political career, he was an opponent of Black majority rule and Communism.

When he was first elected to parliament in 1948, apartheid was just created by the then Prime Minister, Daniel Francois Malan and Botha first started opposing Black majority rule. In 1982, Botha set up the Black Local Authorities Act, which gave limited township power to the Black community. In 1984, Botha set up the Tricameral Parliament, which gave limited political voice to the Coloured and Indian communities in South Africa, but still excluded the Black community. Botha continued to superficially and insincerely "reform" apartheid for the next 5 years of his leadership in order to preserve it. Botha also refused to grant South West Africa (today Namibia) independence. In 1992, there was a referendum by President F. W. de Klerk to allow Black majority rule. In that referendum, Botha campaigned for the No vote. Botha supported and defended apartheid throughout his life.

In 2006, Botha died of a heart attack, aged 90.

References

Category:1916 births
Category:2006 deaths
Category:Afrikaner people
Category:Anti-communists
Category:People associated with Apartheid
Category:Calvinists
Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction
Category:Disease-related deaths in South Africa
Category:State presidents of South Africa
Category:Prime ministers of South Africa