As South Africans’ anger over former President FW de Klerk’s denial of apartheid being “a crime against humanity” continues, a white South African activist on Tuesday urged the country’s last white president “to be a much greater listener to the pain of the victims of apartheid.”
Following a rebuke by the militant opposition Economic Freedom Fighters in Parliament last week that de Klerk was unrepentant, the former president compounded the problem by issuing a written statement that he stood by his original statement to SABC-TV News that “apartheid was not a crime against humanity.”
The Monday morning statement, through his FW de Klerk Foundation, added more fire to an already volatile situation, leading EFF leader Julius Malema and former President Thabo Mbeki to rebuke him further before De Klerk withdrew it with an apology late on Monday.
Now Social Justice Activist and Director of the Institute for Healing of Memories, Father Michael Lapsley, on Tuesday added his voice to the fracas to advise De Klerk to be sensitive to the country’s majority population who are still suffering from the effects of policies of the defunct apartheid regime.
De Klerk “needs to take the initiative and go to (black) communities and be willing to listen to them if they are willing to listen to him because people are very doubtful about his sincerity,” Lapsley said.
Also reacting to De Klerk’s apology, struggle veteran Sheila Sisulu suggested that De Klerk should be forced to spend time with the real victims of apartheid, adding that his apology was “too little, too late.”
On his part, Malema said: “As the EFF, we reject the apology as one that lacks sincerity and relevance,” adding that “the source of these hateful views remains unrepentant and avoids accountability.”
The party also labelled as false De Klerk telling former President Thabo Mbeki that he was ignorant that the United Nations had in 1966 declared apartheid as a crime against humanity.
“That he lied to former President Thabo Mbeki and faked ignorance of the UN declaration on apartheid is a sign of mockery by a man who has justified his views and refuses to accept his role in the deepening of colonialism and anti-black racism in this country,” Malema said.
NM/jn/APA