/ 15 October 2006

PW Botha discharged from hospital

Former president PW Botha was discharged from the George medi-clinic on Saturday, after going in for a ”routine check-up”, the hospital said

”The family has asked not to reveal the nature of the tests but all results were good,” said hospital manager George Schutte.

Botha (90) was admitted at 11.45am on Friday, stayed in hospital overnight and was said to be in high spirits when he left.

Botha was head of the government, first as prime minister then as state president, from 1978 to 1989.

He lives at his Wilderness home, Die Anker, with his second wife Barbara.

Botha was elected as a member of Parliament for George in the 1948 election that brought the National Party to power and was head of the government through the most turbulent years of the anti-apartheid struggle.

He was seen out of the presidency in 1989 by FW de Klerk after suffering a light stroke earlier that year.- Sapa