PW Botha died. And off going to hell for 'die groot krokodil'. Do you remember him?

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confused

May his soul rest in peace. I think that sentiment is deserved by even the worst of criminals same as perhaps good riddance. I am sorry I will have to apply both these sentiments to the late PW Botha. My undivided sympathy though goes to those families who lost their loved ones and had hoped that Botha in his senility will shed light on what happened to their loved ones. My heart also goes to those then young white soldiers who took orders from this man and now forever will have to bear the scars of that brutal past alone.

Ni Ten Ichi Ryu

My reactions are mixed. I respect him for the fact that it was he who started the process of opening the doors to the people the NP had been oppressing for years. However, he was still representative of a very oppressive regime.

Everyone who says Nelson Mandela and his ilk are terrorists conveniently forget that the actions of the ANC were in opposition to the methods employed by the former government to silence any of those who expressed beliefs differing from the NP ruling party.

Eugene De Kock, former commander of Vlakplaas highlights just some of the attrocities practised against opposing voices in his book, A Long Night's Work. Warfare by Other Means: South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s by Peter Stiff also highlights some of these (to a lesser extent) and notes how:

"Dynamic Teaching CC was used to inculcate blacks with an anti-communist attitude and to portray the ANC and its associates as the anti-Christ."

"How it assassinated perceived enemies of the State. It deals with the establishment of the infamous Project Coast as a biological/chemical warfare unit. It tells how the Civil Cooperation Bureau (CCB) succeeded Project Barnacle. How personnel of both used Project Coast's toxins to ruthlessly poison prisoners and even its own black operators if they were suspected of disloyalty. How they disposed of the bodies by dumping them from an aircraft out at sea. It deals with a swathe of assassinations, destruction and mayhem committed at home and abroad. How anthrax letters were mailed to enemies of the State."

and

"It details the murderous subversive activities of a diversity of right-wing organisations, like Eugene Terre'blance's AWB and General Constand Viljoen's Afrikaner Volksfront, who with the probable early backing of the SADF, almost toppled South Africa over the brink into Civil War before the first democratic election in April 1994."

For being at the head of these activities and for being aware of them (although he claims otherwise) I feel revulsion toward him.

Yes Alf, once again when faced with verifiable facts revealed by the very people who perpetrated the attrocities you descend to the personal attacks you so fondly accuse me of. Mooi man! Once again forgetting that I have also spoken out against the current government as well. So what excused the previous government from murdering, poisoning, assaulting and oppressing others? Some of which PW was responsible for?

Bad case of Tourette Syndrome you got going there. I would have that checked out.

Endie vB

Well................ he's definitely history now ............. at least he had the priviledge to die of a natural cause, unlike many of his victims.......

Am not celebrating his death, but I won't shed a single tear!

tay_jen1

yip, died peacefully in his sleep. Out with the old, in with the new as they say.

dWali

I feel sorry for his family, a grandfather is gone.

I feel sorry for him, he was such an angry old man. SO full of hate and prejudice. I hope he finds peace.

Diezel

May he rest in peace.

glynis18

I agree with dWali. I am certainly not a fan of him, but I hope he finds peace.

T.I

I know what i am about to say is terrible but i can't help it because he failed to make amends for all the wrongs he did to the country while he was still in power."Hope the old-crocodile fries in hell!"

moya

Though I'm sure I probably wouldn't like you very much (judging by your simple disrespect) if ever I were to meet you, at least I would have the respect not be nasty about you at your funeral. I'm with rabbit on this one. Has anyone actually bothered to look into what our current ANC government did to get where they are besides empty, unkept promises to the masses or are you too biased too care. Murder is murder, whether it black on black, white on white, black on white or white on black. And anyone who supports murder for any cause whatsoever as good as commited the deed themselves. Now there's something to push coal in hell for.

Anria A

It is only for God to judge if PW was simply acting according to what he thought was right at the time and if he ever truly realized the extend of some of the things he did.
For now he will be hated by many, but in years to come others will commit just as great sins, and then he can be finally left to rest in peace until the judgment day.

Vango

That's a pretty insensitive thing to say, while his family is in mourning. Shame on you! Grow up, please.

rabbit

Don't judge him. The top dogs in the ANC did many horrible things for wich thay are not going to be prosecuted

Smiley

He was 'die groot krokodil' indeed and he was a great leader. He was a strong and fearless man and don't you dare be disrespectful. South Africa needs a great leader like him to bring peace and order back. He didn't take any nonsense and he knew what he was doing. I had the greatest respect for him and I'm really sad about his death but he died peacefully and he was old, so I think it was his time to go to a better place. May he rest in peace.

jack daniels

His real claim to fame as far as i am concerned is that he was the the father of the then modern SA Defense force the most powerfull war machine on the continent alas no more, we would be over run in two days if all the cooks and waiters from the Mauritius resort hotels invaded us.

gunner2za

hey...........I knew him personally...........i was one of his bodyguards in 83/84.............he wasnt to bad................he did what he felt was right at the time.................he died still thinking he did the right thing..................he wasnt one of the @ssholes who cut and ran when the government changed and now sit moaning and whining in other countries where they obviously are not happy, because if they were they would not be moaning about SA, but would be moaning about how crap there new country is, where they will always be known as the bloody saffers who ran away from there own country because they couldnt take the heat(which was not hot at all- believe me).

cgroenewald_2000

It was horrible news! He did a few things that he shouldn't have, but at least he is in a better place now.

nadia v

I completely agree with Smiley! At least he stood for what he believed in. Unfortunately today we have spineless, hypocrits in government (BLACK and WHITE) Wouldn't you agree?

Rawkus

Rest in hell PW Botha! You'll be amongst friends down there. I can't believe how many of you all still support that guy and regarding respect to the dead, I don't think Mr Botha even gave second thought to the innocent "coloureds" that were beaten and killed in the middle of the street just so that a minority could live in a racialist ideal. Let this be a lesson to you all:

Good always prevails!

Alf Garnett

He was undoubtedly a bully and very threatening with his finger waaging. However, he paved the way to the release of Mandela and the unbanning of the ANC which is forgotten. In fact he offered to release Mandela as early as 1985 if he renounced violence but once a thug always a thug so he wouldn't. If you are correct and he is off to Hell I am sure he will soon be seeing Mandela and a few others from the ANC. It says a lot about you and your morality in celebrating his death even if you clearly did not like the man.
What a load of shite from the ANC apologist Loving Resistance fighter. What the f*ck has that got to do with the death of PW? Is this your attempt at justifying blowing up people of all colours in bars and churches or necklacing those Black South Africans who could not stomach the ANC? F*ck off you pathetic creep. You have the mentality of a flea and you are not as valuable.

poepies

How can you say that? You go to hell you NEUT, have some respect for the dead!!!! MAY HE REST IN PEACE

(Just for the record, at least he didn't serve time in jail and then became a President. Go look at our "wonderful" kak government and then decide who should burn in hell!!!!!!!!)

Go on, give me a bad rating.

slashpigeon86

No yours or mine to judge. Sure he did some bad stuff but look at our fine government. It really is a shame he never said sorry tho, but then he was doing what the was brain washed to do... a fine son of the republic hey? Sure not going to get the states funeral he wanted, but at least he died in a respectful manner.
If old JZ comes into power I would like to see if ppl cry when he dies... the way he's going, I don't think so.
See you in Zim!

Brad M

Ou PW - we used to call him 'poepol wurm' when I was in the army.
Yup - he sure did cling to power. Much like the ANC will forevermore.

Not very sporting to celebrate a man's death, though, don't you think?

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