News / Africa
FW de Klerk speaks highly of Mandela!
09 Apr 2012 at 08:33hrs | Views
THE former South African president Frederik Willem de Klerk has described the country's first black president Nelson Mandela as one of the biggest South African leaders of his generation.
De Klerk gave a talk at the River Club in northern Johannesburg on Friday evening.
De Klerk said Mandela is not a "holy man" unlike some people's idea of him and he had been a "cruel and unfair" political opponent but had integrity, was a good communicator, charming and someone of stature who was able to keep the ANC unified through the most difficult times.
He also spoke about other politicians like former president PW Botha, whom he described as difficult and with a short fuse. He said he had ruled through fear rather than consensus but was also highly functional and capable.
De Klerk is best known for engineering the end of apartheid, South Africa's racial segregation policy, and supporting the transformation of South Africa into a multi-racial democracy by entering into the negotiations that resulted in all citizens, including the country's black majority, having equal voting and other rights.
He won the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize in 1991, the Prince of Asturias Award in 1992 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 along with Nelson Mandela for his role in the ending of apartheid
De Klerk gave a talk at the River Club in northern Johannesburg on Friday evening.
De Klerk said Mandela is not a "holy man" unlike some people's idea of him and he had been a "cruel and unfair" political opponent but had integrity, was a good communicator, charming and someone of stature who was able to keep the ANC unified through the most difficult times.
He also spoke about other politicians like former president PW Botha, whom he described as difficult and with a short fuse. He said he had ruled through fear rather than consensus but was also highly functional and capable.
De Klerk is best known for engineering the end of apartheid, South Africa's racial segregation policy, and supporting the transformation of South Africa into a multi-racial democracy by entering into the negotiations that resulted in all citizens, including the country's black majority, having equal voting and other rights.
He won the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize in 1991, the Prince of Asturias Award in 1992 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 along with Nelson Mandela for his role in the ending of apartheid
Source - Rapport
