P.W. Botha, South Africa’s last hardline white president, died Tuesday, the South African Press Association reported. He was 90.Known for his finger-wagging confrontational style and nicknamed the “Old Crocodile”Â? for his feared temper, Mr. Botha served as head of the white racist government from 1978 to 1989. Throughout his leadership he resisted mounting pressure to release South Africa’s most famous political prisoner, Nelson Mandela. Mr. Mandela was freed by Mr. Botha’s successor, F.W. de Klerk in 1990.
With apologies to Private Eye.
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COMMENTS / 3 COMMENTS
Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace added these pithy words on 01 Nov 06 at 2:11 amFor those who are not long term readers of private Eye, this may help explain Lord Curzon’s reference…
Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 1966… and was Prime Minister during the Sharpeville massacre, the banning of the African National Congress and Pan Africanist Congress, and the treason trial of Nelson Mandela and others. He also presided over the establishment of a republic through a whites-only referendum.
Garrett added these pithy words on 10 Nov 06 at 5:40 pmWhoever said it was bad form to speak ill of the dead clearly didn’t have P.W. Botha in mind. It is a rare man who can do so much harm in one lifetime that his death is justly met with cheers even after he has long left power. It’s a shame he was allowed to die a natural death. (With apologies to Mark Twain, who was speaking of Jane Austen.)
Curzon added these pithy words on 11 Nov 06 at 2:29 amI couldn’t disagree more. Botha’s reign marked a real transitional point in the breakdown of the Apartheid regime. And although he is a remembered as a right-winger, he could have done much worse.
As for a natural death, Harry Truman said it best: “Communism maintains that social wrongs can be corrected only by violence. Democracy has proved that social justice can be achieved through peaceful change.” South Africa faces many problems today, which would likely be far worse if the apartheid regime was ended by violence, not a democratic and peaceful struggle.
