Kobie Coetsee, 69, an apartheid-era justice minister who was credited with playing a key role in South Africa's transition to democracy, died of a heart attack yesterday. Mr. Coetsee, who retired from politics two years ago, served in the Cabinets of former presidents P.W. Botha and F.W. de Klerk. After all-race elections in 1994, he was chairman of South Africa's lower house of Parliament.
Christie R. Basham, 68, a former executive producer of "Meet the Press" who was one of the first female executives in television network news, died July 16 at her home in Washington of brain cancer.
