De Klerk Foundation
Former South African president FW de Klerk, who died on Thursday, has apologised for “the damage apartheid had done”.
His message is contained in a video released by the FW de Klerk Foundation on Thursday, following the death of the 85-year-old late State President.
De Klerk said this would be his last message to the people of South Africa, adding that he would say goodbye to his wife and family in a different way.
He said he wanted to highlight two issues, with the focus on “apartheid, and apartheid and me.”
“I’m still often accused by critics, that I, in some way or another, continue to justify apartheid or separate development, as we later preferred to call it.
It is true that in my younger years, I defended separate development as I never liked the word apartheid. I did so when I was a member of Parliament, and I did so as I became a member of the cabinet.
“Afterwards, on many occasions, I apologised for the pain of the indignity that apartheid has brought to persons, to persons of colour in South Africa. Many believed me, but others didn’t.
“Therefore, let me today in this last message, repeat. I, without qualification, apologise for the pain and the hurt and the indignity and the damage that apartheid has done to black, brown and Indians in South Africa. I do so not only in my capacity as the former leader of the National Party but also as an individual.”
De Klerk said he was also proud of the country’s Constitution, which “we hammered out in the negotiations we started in 1990 and which culminated in the final constitution of 1996.”
“I truly associate myself with the values and principles enshrined in our Constitution, and I’m deeply concerned about the undermining of many aspects of the Constitution, which we perceive almost day to day,” he said.
De Klerk said that the road forward would be a difficult one.
“But, I firmly believe that if we take hands and if all the reasonable people in South Africa put their heads together, we can overcome the challenges we face and we can fulfil the tremendous potential that South Africa has.”
“May the South African nation show the courage and the ingenuity to achieve this.”
