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According to Thabo Mbeki, in 1981 the ANC seriously discussed assassinating P.W. Botha along with his cabinet during the celebration of Republic Day of that year in Bloemfontein. All the operation needed was a signal from the ANC's leadership, who ultimately vetoed the plan after determining that there would be too many civilian casualties and that it would "blur the distinction" between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" targets.
However, what if the ANC had decided differently? With Botha and his cabinet gone, few obvious candidates - like Pik Botha, for instance, who P.W. Botha defeated in 1978 - are available for the leadership.