In reading David Welsh\u2019s \u201cThe Rise and Fall of Apartheid\u201d, PW Botha\u2019s own rise and fall of power captured my attention.\u00a0 Although an unlikely character to focus on (Mandela and De Klerk are certainly more notorious), Botha\u2019s intersection between his Christian faith and leadership within the Nationalist Party (NP) prompted me to want to dig deeper into his background and ideology.<\/p>\n
Botha led the Nationalist Party as prime minister from 1978-1989, although his involvement in the party began as early as the 1930\u2019s when he became a youth organizer.\u00a0 During World War II, Botha worked for the Ox Wagon Fire Guard (who had Nazi allegiances), but later disengaged from the guard because the group \u201clacked Christian ideology\u201d.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n During his 1979 \u2018adapt or die\u2019 speech, Botha declared \u201cDo not ask me to say that I stand for a Christian nationalism and then come and tell me that I must neglect the interests of the black man and the brown man, because then I shall not be a Christian and I shall not be a Nationalist\u201d<\/em>.[2]<\/a>\u00a0 Botha\u2019s intent as the leader of the NP was to \u201creform\u201d apartheid policy into \u201cseparate development\u201d (even though he wanted to keep reform in accordance with \u201cNP principles\u201d).[3]<\/a>\u00a0 Botha earnestly believed that his Christian faith was the motivation for this reform.<\/p>\n I\u2019m always curious about professing Christians who overtly engage in racism, violence, and oppression.\u00a0 More than judgement, I want to understand how a person who reads the same Bible I do can justify their actions.\u00a0 I researched Botha\u2019s early life to find a glimpse into the development of his Christian faith.\u00a0 He was born in 1916, and grew up on a farm \u201camong a provincial community of Afrikaners\u201d.[4]<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0Botha studied law at the University of the Orange Free State, although he never graduated with his degree.\u00a0 Botha\u2019s childhood appears non-eventful and there\u2019s little to no mention of a family of faith or a transformative faith experience.\u00a0 It\u2019s interesting then, that Botha routinely talked about his faith and relied on his faith for decision-making, his moral compass and for justifying policy.<\/p>\n Botha was so bold about his faith that in 1988, he \u201cpublicly warned Archbishop Desmond M Tutu, the Anglican Primate of Southern Africa (and 1984 Nobel Peace Prize recipient), against distorting \u201cthe true message of Christ\u201d by bringing the church\u2019s spiritual power in the \u201csecular\u201d struggle against apartheid\u201d.[5]<\/a>\u00a0 Tutu quickly retorted with a 3200 word letter.\u00a0 One of his most powerful statements to Botha was this – ”The church does not recognize the dichotomies which are much loved by the privileged and the powerful.” ‘Lord of All Life’.\u00a0 He continued on with ”The God whom we worship is Lord of all life, and if you are to say his writ does not run in the political realm, you have to tell us whose writ does?”[6]<\/a><\/p>\n Politically, Botha justified perpetuating his NP fundamental belief system by his belief that his newly developed constitution was premised on the \u201cfundamental difference between \u2018discrimination and differentiation\u2019: discrimination occurred when injustice was done by one group to another; differentiation was merely the drawing of distinctions.\u00a0 \u2018Hurtful, unnecessary\u2019 discrimination had to go, but differentiation as provided for in the \u2018healthy power-sharing\u2019 contained in the constitution, was fundamental for white survival and self-determination.\u201d[7]<\/strong><\/a><\/em> \u00a0I had to read this sentence multiple times to digest the meaning and distortions of Botha\u2019s thinking.\u00a0 From afar, it\u2019s easy and comfortable to pass judgment on South Africa\u2019s era of apartheid.\u00a0 In a speech in 1986, President Reagan stated \u201cThe United States cannot maintain cordial relations with a government whose power rests upon the denial of rights to a majority of its people, based on race\u201d.[8]<\/a>\u00a0 I\u2019m glad the United States government and leaders took a stand against apartheid.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad the people of the United States saw apartheid as an atrocity.\u00a0 But I\u2019m sad that in my own country, then and now, we still have covert modes of oppression.\u00a0 The constitution of the United States was created by white, Christian men \u2013 and make no mistake \u2013 was designed to benefit the white man.\u00a0 Have we created amendments?\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Do people of color and women now have rights that we did not originally?\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 But, are we truly aware and willing to accept that covert forms of oppression (which may be secret, hidden, not openly practiced, or so subtle that they are not readily obvious, even to the intended target) do exist?\u00a0 \u00a0As Christians, we have a responsibility to seek truth in recognizing that we may have our own role in supporting oppression.\u00a0 We at least need to be open to researching, learning, and supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ that feel they are at the hands and feet of oppressors \u2013 not overseas, but here in our own country. Can you\u2026will you\u2026relinquish comfort and control in your own world just enough to allow someone else to be elevated to a place where they feel they have equal power?<\/p>\n Clearly, Botha felt justified \u2013 even in his Christian faith \u2013 to perpetuate racism and oppression. \u00a0\u00a0I\u00a0do not believe most Christians set out to intentionally hurt others. \u00a0Most people believe that professing \u201clove for others\u201d is enough.\u00a0 I challenge you to move a step further – begin by acknowledging that a problem exists, by desiring change and by working together to achieve resolution.\u00a0 \u201cTherefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0James 5:16 NIV<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> https:\/\/www.biography.com\/people\/pw-botha-9220773<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Welsh209<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Welsh<\/p>\n [4]<\/a> https:\/\/www.biography.com\/people\/pw-botha-9220773<\/p>\n [5]<\/a> http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1988\/05\/03\/world\/tutu-and-botha-joust-over-theology.html<\/p>\n [6]<\/a> http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1988\/05\/03\/world\/tutu-and-botha-joust-over-theology.html<\/p>\n