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

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P.W. Botha

Wednesday, 5 September 1984

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.

References:
• Kalley, 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 : 23-Aug-2013

This article was produced by South African History Online on 16-Mar-2011

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