Pik Botha, the global face of South Africa’s apartheid state, dies at 86
Former diplomat spent 17 years defending the controversial racial segregation policy, but later worked for president Nelson Mandela
Pik Botha, who became the global face of South Africa’s reviled apartheid government as Pretoria’s minister of foreign affairs, has died aged 86 after a long illness, local media reported on Friday.
By turns urbane and jovial, Botha, foreign minister from 1977 until the end of white rule in 1994, was seen as a reformer in the hard-line National Party administrations he served under.
In 1986 he predicted that South Africa might one day have a black president, a statement that earned him a stern rebuke from president at the time P.W. Botha, who was no relation.
“As long as we can agree in a suitable way on the protection of minority rights without a racial sting … then it would possibly become unavoidable that in future you might have a black president of this country,” he said.
Botha had the unenviable job of defending apartheid on the world stage as South Africa grew increasingly isolated, facing economic sanctions abroad, but was regarded as a skilled behind-the-scenes negotiator who loosened adversaries up over rounds of drinks.