Darius Botha dies

Darius and Karin Botha had twins in 1987 - Carine and Tobie. Carine died at the age of six, Tobie at the age of 18, both of cancer.

Darius was first diagnosed withe stomach cancer in 2014. He was operated on and went into remission. In 2016 he obtained a doctor's degree in theology, with a thesis on bringing joy to the lives of cancer patients through the word.

Then in November 2017, the cancer returned and the end was relatively swift.

Darius, a wing, and his younger (by two years and four months) brother Naas played for Northern Transvaal in five Currie Cup finals from 1977 to 1981. In four of those five years Northern Transvaal won the Currie Cup outright and in 1979 they shared it with Western Province. In 1981, the Botha brothers went on the Springbok tour to New Zealand and the USA, a tour of vigorous demonstrations. Naas played in all the Tests, Darius in the third against New Zealand, his only Test. 

In all Darius played 61 times for Northern Transvaal

Darius was educated at Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd and at the universities of Pretoria and Stellenbosch.

He became a dominee in the Dutch Reformed Church and was for a while a police chaplain.

Daniel Sarel  Botha was born on 26 June 1955 in Breyten, a farming town east of Johannesburg built on the farm Bothasrus. He died on the morning of 12 February 2018, survived by his wife Karin, their children Derik and Rienie and grandchildren, one of whom is named Darius.