(1932-04-27)27 April 1932 Rustenburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa
Died
12 October 2018(2018-10-12) (aged 86) Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Political party
National (until 1997)
Spouses
Helena Susanna Bosman
(m. 1953; died 1996)
Ina Joubert
(m. 1998)
Children
4
Alma mater
University of Pretoria
Occupation
Diplomat and politician
Profession
Law
Roelof Frederik "Pik" Botha, DMS MP (27 April 1932 – 12 October 2018) was a South African politician who served as the country's foreign minister in the last years of the apartheid era, the longest-serving in South African history.[1] Known as a liberal within the party, Botha served to present a friendly, conciliatory face on the regime, while criticised internally. He was a leading contender for the leadership of the National Party upon John Vorster's resignation in 1978, but was ultimately not chosen.[2] Staying in the government after the first non-racial general election in 1994, he served under Mandela as Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs from 1994 to 1996.
Botha was nicknamed 'Pik' (short for pikkewyn, Afrikaans for 'penguin') because of a perceived likeness to a penguin in his stance, accentuated when he wore a suit.[3]
He was not related to Prime Minister (later State President) P. W. Botha, under whom he served as foreign minister for 17 years.[4]
^"Apartheid-era foreign affairs minister Pik Botha has died". TimesLive. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
^"Opinion: FW de Klerk was a pragmatist – not a man driven by ideology". The Independent. 11 November 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
^A smart penguin, Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The Spectator, 7 April 1984, page 9
^Funteriano, Andre (12 October 2018). "Explainer: Are you confusing Pik Botha with PW Botha? Meet both". briefly.co.za. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
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widely suspected to have been politically motivated. Cabinet Minister PikBotha described it as "one of the most haunting criminal mysteries in our country...
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shortly thereafter, the homelands were reincorporated into South Africa. PikBotha, South Africa’s Foreign Minister at the time, and member of the Transitional...
Southern Africa at the time, and from South African foreign minister, PikBotha, to allow SADF forces to leave their bases and repel the SWAPO incursions...
damaged by an explosion. 29 – Prime Minister P.W. Botha and minister of foreign affairs PikBotha visit Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy...
Transvaal. After P. W. Botha fell ill in 1989, he successfully contested interim president Chris Heunis and Foreign Minister PikBotha in the struggle for...
England in August 1984. In the event, South African foreign minister, PikBotha, refused to allow them to return for their trial. Armscor (South Africa)...
Cooperation Bureau operative, claims to have helped bring about Machel's death. PikBotha, South African foreign affairs minister at the time, who later joined...
was made after joint consultations with South African Foreign Minister PikBotha and UNTAG commander Dewan Prem Chand. The number of Koevoet operators...
Foreign Affairs In office 1994–1999 President Nelson Mandela Preceded by PikBotha Succeeded by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Secretary General of the ANC In office...
Party resigned from the GNU, there was a cabinet reshuffle, in which PikBotha was replaced. Since then, every incumbent of the ministry has been a member...
minister PikBotha (the third candidate in the race) threw their support to P.W. Botha, and only two to Mulder. Mulder was subsequently retained in Botha's reshuffling...
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