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PW Botha was South Africa's president from 1978-1989. Known as the 'Old Crocodile', he upheld the apartheid system with the help of the security forces and various states of emergency. He refused to unban the ANC and enter into negotiations with Nelson Mandela, instead claiming that communists were threatening to take over his country. However, Botha was the first white ruler of South Africa to implement reforms, which eventually saw the repeal of over 100 discriminatory laws, including the notorious pass laws and the mixed marriage act. He resigned in 1989 after a dispute with his cabinet over a meeting with the ANC in Lusaka, Zambia, and retired. He passed away on 1 November 2006 at age 91 at his mansion near George, about 200 km north of Cape Town. Current President Thabo Mbeki, speaking at the funeral, described Botha as being "misunderstood".

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17y ago

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