P.W. Botha becomes SA’s first Executive President

Date: 5 Sep 1984
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

P.W. Botha becomes SA’s first Executive President

South Africa's Prime Minister since 1978, P.W. Botha, was unanimously elected by eighty-eight members of the Electoral College to the office of first executive president. This was a newly created position after the new constitution came into force in 1984. The constitution further created three houses of parliament, namely the House of Assembly for Whites, the House of Representatives for Coloureds, and House of Delegates for Indians with the president presiding over them. Botha held the position until he resigned in 1989. Blacks were not happy with these new developments, they viewed the new constitution as a means to enhance apartheid.

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01Kalley, J.A.; Schoeman, E. & Andor, L.E. (eds)(1999). Southern African Political History: a chronology of key political events from independence to mid-1997, Westport: Greenwood.

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). P.W. Botha becomes SA’s first Executive President. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012561

South African History Online (2011) 'P.W. Botha becomes SA’s first Executive President', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012561 (Accessed: 22 July 2026).

South African History Online, P.W. Botha becomes SA’s first Executive President [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012561, (accessed 22 July 2026).

"P.W. Botha becomes SA’s first Executive President." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012561. Accessed 22 July 2026.

South African History Online. "P.W. Botha becomes SA’s first Executive President." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012561.