And, It's 30 years to the day that former president F W De Klerk announced sweeping reforms for the country. eNCA reporter Ayesha Ismail is with the former president. CourtesyJOHANNESBURG - Former president FW de Klerk says the speech he made 30 years ago was critical to avoid a civil war.
De Klerk made the speech in parliament, announcing sweeping reforms, including the release of political prisoners like Nelson Mandela. In his opening address in 1990, De Klerk unbanned the African National Congress, Pan-Africanist Congress, and South African Communist Party.“I think we would have fallen into a civil war. I think 100,000 of young South Africans from all sides would have died. I think the streets would have been drowned in blood and in the end, we would have to negotiate, that's the catastrophe we averted,” De Klerk said.De Klerk said he felt bad and hurt when Mandela would criticise him.
“There were times when there was great tension between us. He accused me of not doing enough to stop the political violence and the role that elements in the security forces played. It was a false accusation. I appointed the Goldstone Commission. I put on early retirement, I took various steps, I never looked away from it. I tried to get to the bottom of it,” he said.“We don't need to amend Section 25 of the Constitution.
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Yes he did the right thing and released Nelson Mandela and possibly averted a civil war but the national government were just as corrupt as the ANC . They just hid it better cause they had more time to practice!
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