Pieter Willem Botha resigns as state President of SA

Date: 14 Aug 1989
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Pieter Willem Botha resigns as state President of SA

South African President, Pieter Willem Botha, resigned from his position as state president seven months after a minor stroke that led to his admission in hospital, and amid rising political instability, growing economic problems and diplomatic isolation. On 15 August, Mr. F.W. de Klerk was sworn in as Acting President pending the results of the general elections. In 1990 Botha resigned from the National Party (NP) in protest against President F.W. de Klerk's reform proposals which included the unbanning of some influential organizations such as the African National Congress (ANC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and South African Communist Party (SACP) and the release of political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela.

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How we know this

01O’Malley, P. ‘1989’, from Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, [online], Available at www.nelsonamandela.org.za [Accessed: 05 August 2013]
02SAHO, ‘P.W. Botha resigns from the National Party’, from South African History Online, [online], Available at www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed: 05 August 2013]
03Nzo Alfred(1989), '
04South African History Online, ‘P.W. Botha resigns from the National Party’, [online], Available at www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed: 05 August 2013]
05Nzo Alfred(1989), 'Resignation of PW Botha' ,15 August, [onilne],Available at www.anc.org.za [Accessed: 26 August 2013]" target="_blank">Resignation of PW Botha', from African National Congress, 15 August, [online],Available at www.anc.org.za [Accessed: 26 August 2013]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2013, August 8). Pieter Willem Botha resigns as state President of SA. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096288

South African History Online (2013) 'Pieter Willem Botha resigns as state President of SA', South African History Online, 8 August. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096288 (Accessed: 26 July 2026).

South African History Online, Pieter Willem Botha resigns as state President of SA [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096288, (accessed 26 July 2026).

"Pieter Willem Botha resigns as state President of SA." South African History Online, 8 Aug. 2013, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096288. Accessed 26 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Pieter Willem Botha resigns as state President of SA." South African History Online. August 8, 2013. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096288.