The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has deployed a new specialist unit to investigate the apartheid-era atrocities between the 1960s to the 1980s, while the Apartheid Families Victims Group (AFVG) is calling on former state president FW de Klerk to face the courts for his involvement in the apartheid regime.
According to IOL, De Klerk maintains that if the NPA only prosecutes those from the anti-revolutionary side, it would be in breach of exercising its functions “without fear, favour or prejudice’’. He further added that careful consideration should be given to the constitutional requirement that “everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law.”
“It would, accordingly, be unacceptable to apply one standard to apartheid-era crimes and another to crimes perpetrated by anti-government organisations. And yet there is not the slightest indication in the NPA’s statement that it has any intention whatsoever to prosecute the latter,” De Klerk said.
On the other hand, Imam Haron Foundation’s director, Cassiem Khan described De Klerk’s comments as a sign of desperation.
“The cover that [De Klerk] believes… the ANC government had given him by not pursuing him for the last 27 years has now run its course and because the families of apartheid victims are themselves now driving the process and putting pressure on the NPA and the Hawks that these matters must be pursued,” Khan said.
The AFVG echoed Khan’s sentiments, saying that De Klerk’s statement was another example of him having “yet another stake at Apartheid denialism”.
As reported by IOL, award-winning journalist Lukhanyo Calata, son of Fort Calata who was connected to the Cradock Four and killed by apartheid security forces as a result of their anti-apartheid activism said:
“[De Klerk] has returned too frequently to this theme for the world to continue to harbour the belief that he is either worthy of a national award or international peace prize, least of all the Order of Mapungubwe and the Nobel Peace Prize.
“It is regrettable that the ANC led us down the treacherous path of glossing over the differential in the moral fundamentals of apartheid and resistance. It was a horrible ahistorical move. This is perhaps the reason Mr De Klerk has been emboldened to revise history by arguing that Apartheid was not a crime against humanity,” he added.
Meanwhile, in light of the Constitutional Court’s ruling of finding former president Jacob Zuma guilty for contempt of court, Zuma’s supporters were back with the question “What about De Klerk?”
Here’s what Twitter users had to say:
I wish president Jacob Zuma can enjoy his retirement like FW de Klerk pic.twitter.com/N0Si7uIKgw
— KETSO?4?LIFE (@KETSO_4LIFE) July 6, 2021
FW De Klerk must face law for atrocities pic.twitter.com/2J4zdykzAy
— Banele (@Gentlements) July 6, 2021
Afriforum wants President Jacob Zuma to be detained without trial. But the racist Afriforum doesn’t want anything to happen to their leader, the last Apartheid President FW de Klerk, who committed series of atrocities among black people #Wake up everybody #
— Shivambu (@Gamuroger) July 4, 2021
People can eat ZUMA alive but they scared of FW DE KLERK pic.twitter.com/1TIiz0kHbz
— ? (@8ball_rsa) July 2, 2021
President Jacob Zuma goes to jail before FW de Klerk ?
We are still colonised ?— BLF yethu (@BlfYethu) June 29, 2021
I’m not defending uzuma in anyway but what about FW DE KLERK when will justice be served just goes to show you our justice system in sa ?
— ayavuya (@ayavuyanqanqali) June 29, 2021
I was there before 1994 and saw what government of PW Both and FW de Klerk did to my friends and relatives #JZImprisonment?
— Adv Castro Mlaba (@AdvCastroMlaba) June 29, 2021
Meanwhile FW De Klerk remains a free man.
This country of ours is a mess— Noble Fighter (@WinasM) June 29, 2021
Picture: Supplied