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10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/P. W. Botha.md

@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ tags:
   - Israel
   - Military
 summary: "Prime Minister of South Africa who hinted at nuclear weapons capability after the 1979 VELA Satellite detected a probable nuclear test."
+born: 1916-01-12
+died: 2006-10-31
+location: "Paul Roux, Orange Free State, South Africa"
 ---
 
 P. W. Botha was the Prime Minister of [[South Africa]]. On September 25, 1979, three days after a [[VELA Satellite]] recorded probable evidence of a nuclear explosion over the South Indian Ocean, Botha warned the Cape National Party congress that [[South Africa]] had and could produce sufficient arms to counter terrorism. He hinted that they might have military weapons that others did not know about, suggesting that [[South Africa]] and its Israeli partners had successfully conducted a secret nuclear test.[^1]