Former South African Prime Minister, P.W Botha, dies

Former SA prime minister and later State President from 1978 to 1989, Pieter Willem Botha, died peacefully at the age of 90 at his house Die Anker near Wilderness in the Western Cape. Botha was found dead in bed just after 20:00 on Tuesday night by his second wife Barbara. Botha was discharged from the George Medi-Clinic two weeks ago, after he went in for a routine check-up. In 1989, Botha relinquished his presidential position to the then minister of education and South Africa's last white president F.W. de Klerk after suffering a stroke. Botha would be remembered by defying the Truth and Reconciliation Commission subpoena in 1998. The TRC was set up in 1996 to probe the Apartheid atrocities. Botha was implicated in human rights violations, when it was found out during the TRC hearings that he personally ordered the bombing of Khotso House, the headquarters of the anti-apartheid South African Council of Churches. He was later convicted for defying TRC subpoena, but won the appeal against the conviction at the Appeal Court. Click here to read about Nelson Mandela's reaction to Botha's death