Pik Botha in 1984, with (right to left) State President P W Botha, and President Samora Machel of Mozambique and Mrs Graça Machel, at the signing of the Nkomati Accord.

Roelof Frederik "Pik" Botha ( April 27, 1932, in Rustenburg, Transvaal, South Africa - was a South African 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. Image File history File links NkomatiAccord. ... Image File history File links NkomatiAccord. ... P.W. Botha Pieter Willem Botha (January 12, 1916 – October 31, 2006), commonly known as P.W. and Die Groot Krokodil (Afrikaans for The Big Crocodile), was prime minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and state president from 1984 to 1989. ... US President Reagan and President Samora Machel of Mozambique Samora Moisés Machel (September 29, 1933 - October 19, 1986) was President of Mozambique from 1975 until he died eleven years later, when his presidential aircraft crashed in mountainous terrain where the borders of Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland converge. ... Graça Machel is the widow of former Mozambique president Samora Machel, who died in a plane crash over South Africa in 1986, and is the current wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela. ... The Nkomati Accord was a nonagression treaty signed in 1984 between Mozambique and the Republic of South Africa. ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... See also: 1931 in South Africa, other events of 1932, 1933 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... Rustenburg (place of rest) is a large town situated in at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa. ... Flag of Transvaal The Transvaal (lit. ... A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the governmental foreign policy of a sovereign nation. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... The National Party (Afrikaans: Nasionale Party) (with its members sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats) was the governing party of South Africa from June 4th 1948 until May 9th 1994, and was disbanded in 2005. ... Afrikaners are an ethnic group primarily associated with Southern Africa and the Afrikaans language. ...

Diplomat and Lawyer

Botha began his career in the South African foreign service in 1953, serving in Sweden and West Germany. From 1963 to 1966, he served on the team representing South Africa at the International Court of Justice in The Hague in the matter of Ethiopia and Liberia v. South Africa, over the South African occupation of South-West Africa (Namibia). See also: 1952 in South Africa, other events of 1953, 1954 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... See also: 1962 in South Africa, other events of 1963, 1964 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... See also: 1965 in South Africa, other events of 1966, 1967 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... Peace Palace, seat of the ICJ. The International Court of Justice (known colloquially as the World Court or ICJ; French: Cour internationale de justice) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. ... Arms of The Hague Flag of The city of The Hague. ... South-West Africa is the former name (1884-1990) of Namibia under German (as German South-West Africa, Deutsch Süd-West Afrika) and (from 1915) South African administration when it was conquered from the Germans during World War I. Following the war, the Treaty of Versailles declared the territory...

In 1966, Botha was appointed law adviser at the South African Department of Foreign Affairs. In that capacity, he served on the delegation representing South Africa at the United Nations from 1966 to 1974. At this time, he was appointed South Africa's ambassador to the United Nations, but a month after he presented his credentials, South Africa was suspended from membership. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... See also: 1973 in South Africa, other events of 1974, 1975 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ...

Politician

In 1970, Botha entered the realm of electoral politics, winning a seat in the South African parliament as a member of the National Party. In 1975, Botha was appointed South Africa's ambassador to the United States, in addition to his U.N. office. In 1977, he was appointed minister for foreign affairs. See also: 1969 in South Africa, other events of 1970, 1971 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in orange and red—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, and the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... The National Party (Afrikaans: Nasionale Party) (with its members sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats) was the governing party of South Africa from June 4th 1948 until May 9th 1994, and was disbanded in 2005. ... See also: 1974 in South Africa, other events of 1975, 1976 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... See also: 1976 in South Africa, other events of 1977, 1978 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ...

Botha entered the contest to be Prime Minister of South Africa in 1978. His candidacy acted as a spoiler, ensuring the victory of P. W. Botha (no relation). This is a list of South African Prime Ministers. ... See also: 1977 in South Africa, other events of 1978, 1979 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... The spoiler effect is a term to describe the effect a candidate can have on a close election, in which their candidacy results in the election being won by a candidate dissimilar to them, rather than a candidate similar to them. ... P.W. Botha Pieter Willem Botha (January 12, 1916 – October 31, 2006), commonly known as P.W. and Die Groot Krokodil (Afrikaans for The Big Crocodile), was prime minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and state president from 1984 to 1989. ...

In 1985, Botha drafted a speech that would have announced the release of Nelson Mandela but this draft was rejected by P. W. Botha. See also: 1984 in South Africa, other events of 1985, 1986 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (IPA ) (born 18 July 1918) was the first President of South Africa to be elected in fully-representative democratic elections. ...

The next year, he stated publicly that it would be possible for South Africa to be ruled by a black president provided that there were guarantees for minority rights. President P.W. Botha quickly forced foreign minister Botha to acknowledge that this position did not reflect government policy.

In December 1988 Pik Botha flew to Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo with Magnus Malan, Defence Minister, and signed a peace protocol with Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of the Congo, and with Angolan and Cuban signatories. At the signing he said "A new era has begun in South Africa. My government is removing racial discrimination. We want to be accepted by our African brothers". See also: 1987 in South Africa, other events of 1988, 1989 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... Image of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, taken by NASA. Brazzaville is the capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo and is located on the Congo River. ... General Magnus Malan (b. ... Time in Office 18 March 1977 – 3 April 1977 (part of the Military Committee of the Congolese Labour Party); 8 February 1979 – 3 August 1992 (first time); 25 October 1997 – Predecessor Marien Ngouabi (as a part of the Military Committee of the CLP); Jean-Pierre Thystère Tchicaya (first time...

Namibian Independence

On December 22, 1988 Pik Botha signed a tripartite agreement involving Angola, Cuba and South Africa at United Nations headquarters in New York which led to the implementation of Security Council Resolution 435, and to South Africa's relinquishing control of Namibia after decades of defiance. (Botha, with a delegation of 22 from Johannesburg, was booked to travel to the signing ceremony on flight Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York on December 21, but instead took an earlier flight. UN Commissioner for Namibia, Bernt Carlsson, who was to take charge of Namibia on behalf of the UN, had his travel arrangements revised at short notice, and was killed when PA 103 crashed at Lockerbie, Scotland.) December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... , City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from Londons Heathrow International Airport to New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Nickname: Big Apple Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Bernt Carlsson Bernt Wilmar Carlsson was born in 1938 in Stockholm, Sweden, and died in the Lockerbie bombing on December 21, 1988. ... Lockerbie (Gd: Logarbaidh) is a town located in the Dumfries and Galloway region of south-western Scotland. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1. ...

National unity

Botha subsequently served as Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs in South Africa's first post-apartheid government from 1994 to 1996 under President Nelson Mandela. See also: 1993 in South Africa, other events of 1994, 1995 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... See also: 1995 in South Africa, other events of 1996, 1997 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (IPA ) (born 18 July 1918) was the first President of South Africa to be elected in fully-representative democratic elections. ...

Botha became deputy leader of the National Party in the Transvaal from 1987 to 1996. He retired from politics in 1996 when F. W. de Klerk withdrew the National Party from the government of national unity. See also: 1986 in South Africa, other events of 1987, 1988 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... F.W. de Klerk State President of South Africa 1989–1994 Deputy President of South Africa 1994–1996 Frederik Willem de Klerk (born March 18, 1936) was the last State President of Apartheid South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994. ... National Unity Governments are coalition governments made up of all or most parties in a parliament. ...

In 2000, Botha requested membership of the African National Congress and declared his support for President Thabo Mbeki. See also: 1999 in South Africa, other events of 2000, 2001 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history. ... The African National Congress (ANC) is a centre-left political party, and has been South Africas governing party supported by a tripartite alliance between itself, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) since the establishment of majority rule in May 1994. ... Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (born June 18, 1942) is the President of the Republic of South Africa. ...

See also

• Alternative theories into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
• The Maltese Double Cross – Lockerbie
• Announcement of Botha's dead