The Independent talks to former South African President F.W. de Klerk. Twenty years ago today de Klerk delivered an opening address to Parliament. "When he sat down 30 minutes later, the ANC and 30 other political parties, including the Communist Party, had been unbanned unconditionally; the death penalty was suspended; the state of emergency was lifted; trade unions were allowed to function freely; all political prisoners were to be released immediately and restrictions on political exiles were lifted; and, perhaps most importantly of all, de Klerk opened the way for South Africa's first fully democratic election in 300 years by promising 'a totally new and just constitutional dispensation in which every inhabitant will enjoy equal rights, treatment and opportunity'."
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
15
Well, yeah, that stuff was pretty important too, but have you heard "Sun City"?
Can he come over here, do you think?
It took a huge amount of courage to do what FW did, to take that leap of faith and to trust in the fundamental goodness of people. And I'd say it's paid off in spades.
OMG.
I was serious about this, but perhaps I undermined myself by letting that little double entendre stay.
I took you seriously and laughed, but I am an awful person. Anyway, the real Flashman would have laughed too.
See The Shock Doctrine for what came after -- how the white majority and the mining multinationals kept de facto power through economic thuggery.
yep.
Yep. White South Africa has had to give up very little, but has gained so much in the post-A years.
Everybody loves them and feels sorry for them now but they're still, collectively, some of the most rotten people in the world.
I correct myself: it was the white minority.
all hail market solutions!
Just to be clear: he's still going to hell.
I was lucky enough to cover the election of Nelson Mandela.
It was an amazing time and it saddens me that the promise of those day never fully came to fruition.
days, damn it...dayS
White majority, you say? Hm.