Former president Thabo Mbeki and his brother Moeletsi Mbeki pay their last respect to their mother, Epainette Mbeki, during a funeral service at Dutywa cemetery on June 14, 2014 in Dutywa, South Africa. Mbeki died in the Life St Dominic's Hospital in East London last Saturday at the age of 98. (Photo by Gallo Images / City Press / Leon Sadiki)
Former president Thabo Mbeki’s brother and political economist Moeletsi Mbeki said former apartheid minister Pik Botha laid a foundation for the South Africa of today.
He was speaking at the memorial service of Botha held on Wednesday at the Wonderpark Dutch Reformed Church after he was laid to rest that morning.
Botha, a former foreign affairs minister during the apartheid regime died on October.
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Mbeki said Botha was his friend who contributed to South Africa.
“For South Africa, the work that still lies ahead that all leadership should build upon, he contributed to laying a foundation for South Africa. It is now upon everyone in this room to build on this foundation to create a willing nation, I thank you.
“If our country had more non-conformist and mischief-makers like Pik Botha, we would not be in the trouble that we are in today. Such a non-conformist in the upper echelons of a country’s leadership would have long pointed out that the country needs a change of direction.”
Twitter, however, had different views to Mbeki.
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