Botha explains why

Lawyers representing the former South African president, P.W. Botha, have explained to the authorities why he did not appear at a hearing of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission last month.

The explanation -- which has not been made public -- was submitted to the Western Cape Attorney General, Frank Khan, who's now expected to decide next week whether to prosecute Mr Botha.

The former President had been ordered to testify at the TRC about the activities of the security forces during his tenure in the apartheid government, but he has so far defied the order and refused to co-operate with the commission.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service