Political party members and South Africans across the country are up in arms after former president FW De Klerk denied that Apartheid was a crime against humanity. A new campaign has since emerged to have De Klerk stripped of his Nobel Prize.
Former national chairperson of the EFF, Dali Mpofu, has since announced plans to approach the Nobel Foundation through a non-partisan citizens campaign to have the Nobel Prize that was awarded to De Klerk taken away.
Thats It!Enough is Enough!
If you think apartheid was a crime against humanity please join me in a non-partisan Citizens Campaign to approach the Nobel Foundation to take back the Nobel Peace Prize from FW DeKlerk
At 10k retweets we launch formally!Lets go!#BringBackThePrize
— Dali Mpofu (@AdvDali_Mpofu) February 16, 2020
In an interview with SABC News, De Klerk stated that Apartheid can not be considered a crime against humanity. The interview was meant to mark 30 years since the liberation movement in South Africa was unbanned under De Klerk.
At the State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has also demanded the former president be removed from Parliament as he “has blood on his hands and is an Apartheid apologist”. Reports suggest the EFF also wants to reopen investigations into alleged murders that took place under De Klerk’s rule.
An initial statement was released by the De Klerk Foundation, slamming the EFF and standing by De Klerk’s comments. Following requests from the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation to withdraw the statement, the foundation released a new one retracting De Klerk’s previous statement.
“The FW de Klerk Foundation has accordingly decided to withdraw its statement of February 14 unconditionally and apologises for the confusion, anger and hurt that it has caused. By April 27, 1994, under my leadership, the whole legislative framework of apartheid had been dismantled and the way had been opened for the adoption of our present non-racial democratic Constitution,” reads the statement.
In 1993, De Klerk and Nelson Mandela were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together, but now The Nelson Mandela Foundation has joined the likes of the ANC and the EFF standing against the statement made by De Klerk.
“The FW de Klerk Foundation remains deeply committed to national reconciliation and to the achievement of the foundational values on which the Constitution is based – including human dignity, the achievement of equality, the advancement of human rights and freedoms; non-racialism and non-sexism, the supremacy of the Constitution and the Rule of Law and a genuine multi-party system of democratic governance,” the statement concludes.
Watch the interview with De Klerk that started it all here:
WATCH | Prior to their walkout at #SONA2020 the EFF made reference to an SABC News interview with the last apartheid president, FW De Klerk denying that apartheid was a crime against humanity. FULL INTERVIEW > https://t.co/Kwhd7YG60N pic.twitter.com/VZBssG3ve4
— SABC News Online (@SABCNewsOnline) February 13, 2020
Picture: Facebook