Anna Elizabeth Botha (née Rossouw; 6 May 1922 – 6 June 1997) was the First Lady of South Africa, as the wife of State President Pieter Willem Botha, from 1984 to 1989. From 1978 to 1984 Botha served as Prime Minister of South Africa.

Anna Elizabeth Botha
Botha around 1940.
First Lady of South Africa
In role
3 September 1984 – 15 August 1989
Preceded byDorothea Viljoen
Succeeded byMarike de Klerk
Personal details
Born
Anna Elizabeth Rossouw

(1922-05-06)6 May 1922
Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa
Died6 June 1997(1997-06-06) (aged 75)
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Political partyNational Party
Spouse
(m. 1943)
Children5, including Rozanne Botha

Anna Elizabeth Rossouw married Botha on 13 March 1943. She went by the name Elize, and was the daughter of a pastor from Senekal, Dr S.H. Roussouw.[1] They had two sons, Rossouw and Pieter Willem, and three daughters, Elanza, Amelia and Rozanne.[2]

Elize Botha had stayed quietly in the background as the First Lady of South Africa. She earned admiration from Nelson Mandela for helping to arrange a luncheon that Mandela and widows of apartheid-era leaders attended.[3]

She died on 6 June 1997 at the age of 75. She had suffered an aneurysm in 1978 but had been in good health since then.[4][5]

References

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  1. ^ Boddy-Evans, Alistair. "Biography of PW Botha, Apartheid Era President". African History. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  2. ^ Gregory, Joseph R. (1 November 2006). "P. W. Botha, Defender of Apartheid, Is Dead at 90". New York Times. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  3. ^ "Obituaries". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 9 June 1997. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  4. ^ "Obituaries". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 9 June 1997. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  5. ^ "ANNA BOTHA". Who's Who Southern Africa. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2012.