P. W. Botha

P. W. Botha
Botha in 1962
State President of South Africa
In office 3 September 1984 (1984-09-03) – 15 August 1989 (1989-08-15) Acting until 14 September 1984
Preceded by	Marais Viljoen Non-Executive
Succeeded by	Frederik Willem de Klerk
Prime Minister of South Africa
In office 9 October 1978 (1978-10-09) – 14 September 1984 (1984-09-14)
President	Marais Viljoen Balthazar Johannes Vorster Marais Viljoen
Preceded by	John Vorster
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	Pieter Willem Botha (1916-01-12)12 January 1916 Paul Roux, Orange Free State Province, Union of South Africa
Died	31 October 2006(2006-10-31) (aged 90) Wilderness, Western Cape, South Africa
Nationality	South African
Political party	National Party
Spouse(s)	Elize Botha (1943-1997) (her death) Barbara Robertson (1998-2006) (his death)
Children	Rossouw, Pieter Willem, Elanza, Amelia, Rozanne
Profession	Politician

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.