BOTHA, LOUIS

Louis Botha (September 27, 1862-August 27, 1919) was a South African statesman and soldier. He was the first prime minister of the Union of South Africa.

PHOTO CAPTION: Louis Botha SOURCE: EA Library

He was born near Greytown, Natal. At the age of seven he accompanied his parents to the Orange Free State where he was brought up on a farm near Vrede. Although he had little formal education, having attended farm schools for little more than two years, his natural abilities and talents stood him in good stead. Beginning his career as a sheep farmer, he went to Zululand with his stock and soon became involved in the political affairs of that country.

In 1884, he served as a volunteer under Lukas Meyer in the successful campaign for the restoration of Dinuzulu, son of the Zulu chief Cetshwayo. In appreciation of the services of the Boer volunteers, Dinuzulu granted them a large tract of land on the southeastern Transvaal border. This was how the short-lived New Republic, of which Botha was a co-founder, came into existence. He was a member of the commission which drew up the farm boundaries of the farms given to the volunteers. Botha received the farm Waterval, near Vryheid, the headquarters of the new state.

In 1888, the New Republic joined the South African Republic (the Transvaal). Meanwhile Botha was a field cornet and native commissioner at Vryheid and became a prosperous farmer. In 1897 he was elected to the first Volksraad (parliament) as member for Vryheid. He was a moderate, but was inclined to support the liberal views of General P.J. Joubert on the franchise for Uitlanders (i.e., “foreigners,” especially those not speaking Dutch). By this time he was already recognized as a man of unusual ability and, on the South African Republic’s declaration of war against Britain in October 1899, he mustered a commando at Vryheid.

He joined the Boer forces in Natal and was promoted to assistant general under General Lukas Meyer. He soon became one of the most prominent figures on the Natal front and, also in October, distinguished himself at the battle of Dundee. He forced Sir Redvers Buller to abandon his attempt to relieve Ladysmith and instead to push across the Tugela at Colenso and make a direct attack on Joubert’s force (December 15). Although Botha urged an immediate advance, he was overruled, but showed his brilliance as a commander by saving the situation at Tabanyama and Spion Kop (January 24, 1900), forcing Buller to retire at Vaalkrqantz (February 5-7).

On the death of Commandant General P.J. Joubert on March 27, 1900, Botha, although the youngest of the Boer generals, was appointed commander-in-chief of the Transvaal forces, an exceptional achievement for a man of 37. As such he soon displayed outstanding gifts despite the unfavorable course taken by the fighting. He reorganized the commandos and carried on guerrilla warfare against the British.

A man of strong will despite his personal charm, he caused the dismissal of several incompetent subordinates, and eluded the efforts of the British forces to trap him. Realizing by degrees that the struggle was hope-less, he entered into negotiations with Lord Kitchener on March 7, 1901, but failed to reach an agreement. In April, 1902, he took the main part in the arrangements that led to the convening of the Peace Conference at Vereeniging. Instrumental in obtaining surprisingly reasonable terms, he was one of the signatories to the final treaty (May 1902).

After the war he decided to break with the past. He followed a policy of conciliation, his aim being to cooperate with the British Empire and to reconcile the Dutch- and English-speaking elements of the white population. He formed a strong political combination with General J.C. Smuts. He and Smuts took the lead in establishing the Het Volk Party.

 As the acknowledged leader of the Boer people, Botha was an obvious choice as first prime minister of the Transvaal in 1907, when responsible government was granted. After the holding of the national convention, at which he was a delegate, he was chosen as the first prime minister of the Union of South Africa. He dealt satisfactorily with problems of Indian immigration, black land tenure and industrial unrest On the Rand gold mines.

On the industrial issue, however, he lost the support of white labor. His policy of conciliation ultimately led to his estrangement from a large part of his Boer followers. He was accused of pro-British sentiments and of neglecting Afrikaner interests. In 1912, a breach occurred with General J.B.M. Hertzog, the Afrikaner nationalist, but Botha continued in office and still enjoyed great prestige. His decision actively to support Great Britain in World War I (1914-18), against the wishes of a large section of the Afrikaner population, cost him further Boer support.

The outbreak of the Boer Rebellion in 1914 was a source of grief and anxiety to Botha. He nevertheless suppressed this insurrection, and led the attack on German South-West Africa (now Namibia), which he brought to a successful conclusion in 1915. Thereafter he went overseas and was present at the Peace Conference at Versailles in 1919, where, with Smuts, he was a signatory to the Treaty of Versailles on behalf of the Union of South Africa. By this time his health was already failing and he died the same year in Pretoria.

The tragedy of Botha was that he, an Afrikaner, underestimated the strength of Afrikaner nationalism and, in later years, to his disappointment, had to rely increasingly on British support.

C. H. GROBLER