PW Botha (1916-2006) in 1978, on assuming power: «One last symbolic gesture in mind.»

© Nelson Mandela Museum / afrol News

afrol News, 1 November - As Pieter Willem Botha (90), apartheid South Africa's detested leader in the 1980s, died yesterday, reconciling condolences only came from his main historic counterparts, the ruling ANC party and President Thabo Mbeki. A government offer of a state funeral has already been rejected by the widow of Mr Botha, who never agreed to black majority rule.

Stubborn till the last, ex-PM and ex-President Botha of South Africa's racist white minority regime rejected the most basic signs of reconciliation with the new majority government that came to power under Nelson Mandela in 1994. He was not prepared to accept Mr Mandela democratically elected government and rejected subpoenas to testify before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

With Mr Botha at the steering wheel, South Africa was not able to back down on the strict racial segregation and discrimination forming the apartheid ideology, despite growing internal resistance and world-wide outrage and boycotts.

The bitter debate on apartheid reforms within the ruling National Party and South Africa's white community finally led to the ousting of President Botha in September 1989. Frederik Willem de Klerk took over powers and started negotiating with Mr Mandela, who still was jailed at Robben Island. For this process, Mr de Klerk and Mr Mandela were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize of 1993.

While mostly known for his staunch defence of the antiquated apartheid policies that led South Africa into international isolation and internal conflict, Mr Botha also has tried to emphasise his role as the first leader in Pretoria getting into reforms that ended up in the abolishment of the race ideology.

Late President Botha was indeed the first South African leader to meet with Mr Mandela, who in July 1989 was taken from prison to visit the President's residence. Mr Mandela later described the meeting as hearty and disarming, but largely fruitless. Mr Botha also somewhat eased apartheid rules for Asians and "Coloured", while not giving any concessions to the black majority.

The former apartheid leader died yesterday afternoon in his home, 90 years old. Apart from his family, very few South Africans shed a tear for their late leader. White-dominated parties as the Democratic Alliance (DA) today avoided commenting his death, let alone issuing condolences.

Quite contrary to Mr Botha's inability to grasp reconciliation opportunities, the current majority leadership today sent strong signals by offering its "sympathies and condolences to the family, friends and colleagues" of the late President, in the words of ANC spokesman Smuts Ngonyama. Also incumbent President Thabo Mbeki offered the "heartfelt condolences to his wife and the rest of the family" on "behalf of the government and people of South Africa."

President Mbeki even found some kind, reconciling words in memory of Mr Botha's political role: "Mr Botha took over the reigns of government at a difficult time in the history of our country. It stands to his credit that when he realised the futility of fighting against what was right and inevitable, he, in his own way, realised that South Africans had no alternative but to reach out to one another," the presidential statement said.

In line with this tone, the South African presidency's Director-General, Frank Chikane, today visited the home of Mr Botha's widow, Barbara. Here, he offered the family Mr Mbeki's condolences and a state funeral for the former Head of State.

Barbara Botha however could tell Mr Chikane that her late husband had yet another symbolic gesture in mind, to be implemented after his death. She had been ordered to reject a state funeral paid by the black-majority state, and instead announced a private burial for 8 November.

By Rainer Chr. Hennig

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories