Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(S.Afr.) a coward, a weakling; also attrib.

c.1934		Week-End Advertiser 12 May (Swart) n.p.: The Afrikaans expression, ‘Papbroek’, is not without its significance in test match rugby, especially on one’s initial appearance] [DSAE].
1937		C.R. Prance Tante Rebella and her Friends (1951) 179: Boys will be boys, and none liked to be called ‘pap-broek’ or nincompoop.
1944		R. Kraus Old Master: The Life of Jan Christian Smuts 417: That papbroek (weakling)—no, thank you! Herr Pirow? He shall go to—Germany.
1951		P. Abrahams Wild Conquest 145: Koos, his arm in a sling, the side of his face swollen, came up to them. ‘Didn’t know you’d fight dirty, papbroek.’.
1969		J. Meintjes President Steyn 235: Hertzog had been shouting ‘Papbroek!’ (a particularly offensive word for coward) at Botha for some time past.
1970		J. Meintjes General L. Botha 194: Hertzog was equally determined not to serve under a man whom he considered an unprincipled weakling (papbroek).
1982		Sun. Times (Johannesburg) 28 Mar. 44: Diplomatically. I say: ‘Gerrie will win.’ ‘No’ he answers, ‘he’s a “papbroek”’ [DSAE].
1994		Sun. Times (Johannesburg) 27 Nov. 5 The AWB would do the job if the ‘papbroek’ government [...] did not act within 30 days [DSAE].