I accepted a request to join Pik Botha’s office towards the end of 1980 while on a posting abroad, accordingly returning to SA two years before the end of my posting. At that stage his liberal views instilled some optimism about our political future. During my first year in his office there was a national election and although I was not a member of the National Party, I was very frustrated by the conservative nature of their campaign, especially after some enlightened noises in the period before the election. I vividly remember how I spoke my mind about this while travelling with him in his official car to an appointment in his constituency. Inter alia, I told him I believed the conservative nature of the campaign was misleading voters, and that the party was underestimating the willingness of the voters to accept change. He just listened and said: “Yes Dawie, yes Dawie”. I respected him for never holding that discussion against me. I stayed on in foreign affairs to try to influence...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.