Pik Botha
Overview
Roelof Frederik "Pik" Botha (born April 27, 1932, in Rustenburg, Transvaal
) is a former South Africa
n politician who served as the country's foreign minister
in the last years of the apartheid era
. He was considered to be a liberal
- at least in comparison to others in the ruling National Party
and among the Afrikaner
community.
He is not related to late contemporary National Party politician P. W. Botha, under whom he served as South Africa's foreign minister.
Botha was nicknamed 'Pik' (short for 'pikkewyn', Afrikaans
for 'penguin
') due to a perceived likeness to a penguin in his stance.
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
) is a former South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n politician who served as the country's foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
in the last years of the apartheid era
History of South Africa in the apartheid era
Apartheid was a system of racial segregation enforced by the National Party governments of South Africa between 1948 and 1994, under which the rights of the majority 'non-white' inhabitants of South Africa were curtailed and white supremacy and Afrikaner minority rule was maintained...
. He was considered to be a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
- at least in comparison to others in the ruling National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
and among the Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
community.
He is not related to late contemporary National Party politician P. W. Botha, under whom he served as South Africa's foreign minister.
Botha was nicknamed 'Pik' (short for 'pikkewyn', Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
for 'penguin
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
') due to a perceived likeness to a penguin in his stance.
Quotations
If we don't stand together, we will never catch up and the industrialised nations won't care. I predict it here today as your brother.
at the signing of the peace protocol in Brazzaville in 1988
Senator, some of us strongly believe that Americans are the last people that can go around the world preaching morality. What we are doing to the blacks in Africa today is what you have already done and continue to do to the American Indian.
to Senator Ted Kennedy
A new era has begun in South Africa. My government is removing racial discrimination. We want to be accepted by our African brothers.
at the signing of the peace protocol in Brazzaville in 1988