P. W. Botha

Birth Name: Pieter Willem Botha

Date of Birth: January 12, 1916

Place of Birth: Paul Roux, Orange Free State Province, South Africa

Date of Death: October 31, 2006

Place of Death: Wilderness, Western Cape, South Africa

Ethnicity: Afrikaner (Belgian [both Flemish and Walloon], Dutch, German, Swiss-German), remote African, Danish, English, Indian, Indonesian, and Norwegian

P. W. Botha was the leader of South Africa from 1978 to 1989, serving as the last Prime Minister, from 9 October, 1978 to 14 September, 1984, and the first executive State President, from 3 September, 1984 to 15 August, 1989. His father, Pieter Willem Botha, Sr., fought as a commando against the British in the Second Boer War. His mother, Hendrina Christina (de Wet), was interned in a British concentration camp during the war. He was married to Barbara Robertson, until his death. He was previously married to Anna Elizabeth Rossouw, until her death; the couple had five children.

A few of P. W.’s distant ancestors were slaves from Africa, India, and Indonesia.

Some research suggests that P. W. has remote Italian ancestry. It is not clear if this Italian ancestry has been verified/documented.

P. W.’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced back to his 8th great-grandfather, Jan Appel, of Amsterdam.

P. W.’s paternal grandfather was Abraham Lodewicus/Lodewikus Botha (the son of Cornelius/Cornelis Frederik Botha and Cecilia Catharina Louisa Botha). Abraham was born in Glen Lynden, Amatole, Eastern Cape. Cornelius was the son of Abraham Lodewikus Botha and Helena Claudina van der Nest. Cecilia was the daughter of Josephus Johannes Botha and Martha Louisa Venter/Van Deventer. Abraham’s great-grandfather, Theunis Botha, was the biological son of Ferdinandus Appel and Maria Kickers. He adopted the surname Botha from his stepfather, Friedrich Botha.

P. W.’s paternal grandmother was Anna Catharina Durandt/Durand (the daughter of Pieter Willem Durandt and Christina Petronella de Lange). Anna was born in Somerset East, Western District, Eastern Cape. P. W.’s great-grandfather Pieter was the son of Jan Jonathan Durand and Aletta Catharina Bouwer. Christina was the daughter of Barend Jacobus de Lange and Johanna Sophia Steyn.

P. W.’s maternal grandfather was Hendrik Christoffel de Wet (the son of Jacobus Ignatius de Wet and Jacoba Elizabeth Roets). Hendrik was born in Orange Free State. Jacobus was the son of Johannes Marthinus de Wet and Catharina Magdalena/Magdelena Helena Opperman. Jacoba was the daughter of Nicolaas Jacobus Roets and Anna Catharina Opperman.

P. W.’s maternal grandmother was Martha Catharina Grové (the daughter of Hermanus/Hermann Gerhardus Petrus Grové and Johanna Sophia van der Merwe). Martha was born in Richmond, Natal. Hermanus was the son of Stephanus Jacobus Grové and Magdalena Elizabeth Rossouw. Johanna was the daughter of Roelof van der Merwe and Martha Catharina Potgeiter.

P. W.’s matrilineal ancestry can be traced back to his 7th great-grandmother, Maria Kickers (1655, Amsterdam – December 2, 1723, Stellenbosch).

P. W. was a fourth cousin, once removed, of Louis Botha, who was Prime Minister of the Transvaal, from 4 February, 1907 to 31 May, 1910, and the 1st Prime Minister of South Africa, from 31 May, 1910 to 27 August, 1919.

Sources: Genealogies of P. W. Botha – http://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com