title: First Cabinet of P. W. Botha
text: # First Cabinet of P. W. Botha
  
  When P.W. Botha first became Prime Minister of South Africa in 1981, he appointed members of the National Party to positions in his first Cabinet.
  
  ## Cabinet
  
  | Portfolio | Minister | Party | Period |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Prime Minister | P.W. Botha | NP | 1978–1984 |
  | Vice President (abolished 1984) | Alwyn Schlebusch | NP | 1981–1987 |
  | Agriculture and Fisheries | Hendrik Schoeman Sarel Hayward | NP | 1978–1982 1982–1984 |
  | Constitutional Development | Chris Heunis | NP | 1982–1984 |
  | Cooperation and Development | Piet Koornhof | NP | 1978–1984 |
  | Defense | P.W. Botha Magnus Malan | NP | 1978–1980 1980–1984 |
  | Education and Training | Ferdinand Hartzenberg Dawie de Villiers | NP | 1979–1982 1982 |
  | (National) Education | Gerrit Viljoen | NP | 1980–1984 |
  | Environment and Energy | Chris Heunis F.W. de Klerk Braam Raubenheimer Cornelis van der Merwe Sarel Hayward | NP | 1978–1979 1979–1980 1980 1981–1982 1982–1984 |
  | Finance | Owen Horwood | NP | 1978–1984 |
  | Foreign Affairs | Pik Botha | NP | 1978–1984 |
  | Health | Schalk van der Merwe | NP | 1978 |
  | Home Affairs | Alwyn Schlebusch Chris Heunis F.W. de Klerk | NP | 1978–1980 1980–1982 1982–1984 |
  | Justice | Jimmy Kruger Alwyn Schlebusch Kobie Coetsee | NP | 1978–1979 1979–1980 1980–1984 |
  | Labour | Fanie Botha | NP | 1979–1983 |
  | Mining | Fanie Botha F.W. de Klerk Pietie du Plessis Daniel Steyn | NP | 1978–1979 1979–1982 1982–1983 1983–1984 |
  | Plural Development | Stephanus François Kotzé | NP | 1980–1984 |
  | Police and Prisons Law and Order | Jimmy Kruger Louis le Grange | NP | 1978–1979 1979–1984 |
  | Public Works | Louis Le Grange Andries Treurnicht | NP | 1978–1979 1979–1980 |
  | Posts en Telegraphs | Henni Smit F.W. de Klerk Lourens Munnik | NP | 1978 1978–1979 1982–1984 |
  | Sport and Recreation | Piet Koornhof F. W. de Klerk | NP | 1978 1978–1979 |
  | Statistics | Andries Treurnicht | NP | 1979–1982 |
  | Tourism | Louis Le Grange Andries Treurnicht | NP | 1978–1979 1979–1980 |
  | Trade and Industry | Dawie de Villiers | NP | 1980–1984 |
  | Transport | Lourens Muller Chris Heunis Hendrik Schoeman | NP | 1978–1979 1979–1980 1980–1984 |
  | Water and Forestry | Braam Raubenheimer | NP | 1978–1980 |
  | Welfare Health, Welfare and Pensions | F.W. de Klerk Schalk van der Merwe Lourens Munnik Cornelis van der Merwe | NP | 1978 1978–1979 1980–1982 1982–1984 |
  