Pik Botha
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. 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. 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.
Pik Botha | |
|---|---|
Botha at the White House in 1981 | |
| Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs | |
| In office 27 April 1994 – May 1996 | |
| President | Nelson Mandela |
| Preceded by | George Bartlett |
| Succeeded by | Penuel Maduna |
| Deputy Leader of the National Party in Transvaal | |
| In office 1987–1996 | |
| Leader | F. W. de Klerk |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 27 April 1977 – 10 May 1994 | |
| President | F. W. de Klerk (1989–94) P. W. Botha (1984–89) |
| Prime Minister | P. W. Botha (1978–84) B.J. Vorster (1966–78) |
| Preceded by | Hilgard Muller |
| Succeeded by | Alfred Nzo |
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 1977–1994 | |
| Constituency | Westdene, Johannesburg |
| In office 22 April 1970 – 1974 | |
| Constituency | Wonderboom, Pretoria |
| South African Ambassador to the United States | |
| In office 30 July 1975 – 11 May 1977 | |
| Prime Minister | B.J. Vorster |
| Preceded by | Johan Samuel Frederick Botha |
| Succeeded by | Donald Bell Sole |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Roelof Frederik Botha 27 April 1932 Rustenburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa |
| Died | 12 October 2018 (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 |
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.
He was not related to Prime Minister (later State President) P. W. Botha, under whom he served as foreign minister for 17 years.