Pieter Willem Botha nasceu o 12 de janeiro de 1916 em Paul Roux, Orange Free State Province, Union of South Africa. Foi casado com Barbara Robertson e Anna Elizabeth Rossouw. Morreu o 31 de outubro de 2006 na África do Sul.
If I were to release Mr. Nelson Mandela on humanitarian grounds, could Capt. Wynand du Toit, Andrei Sakharov and Anatoly Shcharansky, not also be released on humanitarian grounds? A positive response to this question could certainly form the basis of negotiations between interested governments.