born Sept. 27, 1862, near Greytown, Natal [South Africa]
died Aug. 27, 1919, Pretoria, Transvaal
First prime minister (1910–19) of the Union of South Africa.
Botha was elected to the South African Republic's parliament in 1897, where he sided with moderates against Pres. South African War he commanded southern forces besieging Ladysmith and then tried unsuccessfully to defend the Transvaal . As prime minister he sought earnestly to appease the English-speaking population and was bitterly attacked by Afrikaner nationalists. In World War I he acceded to British requests to conquer German South West Africa (Namibia).