P. W. Botha

As the dominant figure in the ruling National party from 1979 until 1989, first as prime minister then as state president, P. W. Botha was committed to white supremacy in South Africa. His government implemented a programme of military and economic destablization of neighbouring black-ruled states, while at home he oversaw efforts initially to tighten up on the implementation of apartheid law and clamped down on black student and labour unrest. Towards the end of his political career, however, and partly in response to pressure from overseas, he was also responsible for the first breaches in the apartheid system which sustained white supremacy. However, the reforms he introduced, notably the 1983 extension of parliamentary representation to the Coloured and Asian communities, only added to pressure for change, as militancy among the excluded blacks increased.

Mark Peters/AP/Wide World Photos

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Botha, P(ieter) W(illem); South Africa

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