Charlene Smith
Former president PW Botha’s new love broke the peace of the conservative Karoo hamlet of Graaff-Reinet when she gave her father a giant condom for his 90th birthday.
It emerged this week that Botha (81) – recovered from the death of his wife Elize two months ago – is making plans to marry Reinette Water Naude, 50, an independently wealthy woman who began her working career as a meter-maid.
Graaff-Reinet, in the central Karoo, is agog with the news of the forthcoming marriage. Botha is well-known to residents from past visits, a few times before the death of his wife, to the guest lodge owned by Naude
Botha will be spending the coming weekend with her. His children are apparently unhappy about the love match, although Naude’s three children are said to be pleased.
It is believed Naude left to stay in George to console Botha a few weeks after the death of Elize in early June. She was said to be impressed by the efficiency of the staff in his home “who never let you want for anything”.
A well-known member of the community and a devout churchgoer, the well-built Naude physically resembles the late Mrs Botha.
But a number of townsfolk interviewed said her bawdy sense of humour had not endeared her to many in the conservative town. Her husband, Dr Theo Naude, died six years ago and her son by him attends a private school in Grahamstown.
She has two daughters from her first marriage to a policeman, whom she divorced before moving to Graaff-Reinet. She worked there in two hotels before marrying Naude and turning his home into a guest lodge after he died.
Karen Theunissen, the wife of a Graaff- Reinet dentist, has arranged to take over the lodge in October when Mrs Naude is expected to move to George to live with her new husband. Naude and her family refused to comment, although her daughter said they would wait for Botha to issue a statement and that “my mother believes it is a private matter”.
An aide to Botha said that if the former president had any marriage plans “the announcement would come from him first”.