The Presbytery of South Africa announced that Dr Allan Boesak, reverend of the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church) and leading anti apartheid orator, has being officially relieved of his duties as Reverend of the Bellville congregation. In a statement read by Reverend A J Van Wyk, the church said that Boesak had "willfully and without reason" resigned from the church. Boesak resigned before the church could investigate his affair with Elena Botha, a television producer and niece of a hard line apartheid cabinet minister Stoffel Botha. The resignation was a pre-emptive move to prevent the church from investigating his affair with Elena Botha. Allan Boesak later married Elena Botha in February 1991.
eventREF E-0012904Revised
12 August 1990
Allan Boesak resigns from the church
- Updated
- 30 Sep 2019
How we know this
- 01Reporter. (1990). Boesak officially apostatized, The Daily Mail, pg 3.
- 02Khanya, (2008), 'Boesak resigns from church positions over homosexuality', from The Times, 04 October, [Online], Available at: khanya.wordpress.com [Accessed: 17 July 2013]
Last updated · 30 Sep 2019
South African History Online. (2011, March 16). Allan Boesak resigns from the church. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012904
South African History Online (2011) 'Allan Boesak resigns from the church', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012904 (Accessed: 2 November 2026).
South African History Online, Allan Boesak resigns from the church [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012904, (accessed 2 November 2026).
"Allan Boesak resigns from the church." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012904. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.
South African History Online. "Allan Boesak resigns from the church." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012904.
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