P.W. Botha was a South African politician who served as the Prime Minister from 1978 to 1984 and then as the first Executive State President until 1989. He was a prominent figure in the National Party, which enforced the policy of apartheid, a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa. Botha's leadership was marked by attempts to reform apartheid policies while maintaining white minority rule. His government faced increasing internal resistance and international condemnation, leading to significant political changes in the late 1980s, ultimately paving the way for the end of apartheid and the rise of Nelson Mandela.