The discussion on De Klerk, reinforced a number of lessons for me. One, we Black people in South AfriKKKa still have a horribly poor grasp of the history of European invasion in this part of Afrika (this is why certain things Europeans do or say things that continue to shock us).
Two, there is a deeply treacherous breed of Black people in South AfriKKKa, who in order to secure their personal survival and that of their immediate families, would prefer that all Black people have a Drink-O-Pop type understanding of European imperialism, its neo colonial persistence and the true nature of Europeans.
And three, there is also a disturbing tendency by some of us to give greater prominence and attention to such cow dung as the so called Sandton sex video. And as a consequence, give casual or no attention, to the fundamental issues facing us as the natives of the land.
Apart from joining the Dutch secret society (the Broederbond) as a student at Potchefstroom University, Frederik Willem De Klerk, was an active, loyal and life-long activist of an anti-black- criminal gang of European invaders called the National Party (NP).
As a young activist of the National Party, he held various leadership positions. This included setting up NP structures, representing the NP in foreign countries and serving in various capacities, under various apartheid heads of state.
Because of his loyalty and dedication to the National Party's anti-black philosophy and programme, young De Klerk was rewarded with more senior roles in the murderous- anti-black apartheid state.
Between 1978 and 1989, he served as a senior apartheid cabinet minister under heads of the apartheid state such as BJ Vorster, Marais Viljoen and Pieter Willem Botha.
Under these apartheid heads of state, he held ministerial positions in such portfolios as social development, post and telecommunications, mining, interior and his last ministerial position as minister of education under Botha.
What is my point? De Klerk's role as president of the apartheid regime between 1990 and 1994, was merely a culmination. Before this, he had been a senior leader and decision-maker of the apartheid regime for a solid 19 years.
Therefore, to critique him purely on the basis of his tenure as head of the apartheid state-is to be a poor student of political history. During the years that De Klerk was a senior apartheid minister, he and his European brothers and sisters, took decisions to assassinate a number of Black people.
The list of the Black people they agreed to kill include John Majola (1978), Patrick Makau (1980), Griffiths Mxenge (1981), Thamsanqa Mnyele (1985), Victoria Mxenge (1985), Samora Machel (1986), Mazizi Maqekeza (1988), Mthunzi Thole (1989) and many others.
There are of course many others who disappeared during this period and till today, there is no evidence of whether or not they are still alive. One such case is that of MK operative, Nokuthula Simelane, who has been missing for over 30 years.
Today De Klerk and his family are enjoying tax-payer- sponsored VIP status and regular invitations to various SONA events. What did the families of these murdered Black people get?
When De Klerk took over from Botha, in 1990, the Boipatong Massacre happened in June 1992. 45 Black people were brutally murdered by the National Party supported Inkatha Freedom Party (this helps us to understand the posture of uBab'uButhelezi towards the call to eject De Klerk from parliament yesterday).
There was also the cold blooded murder of five young Black boys from Mthatha, on 8 October, 1993. These Black boys were sprayed with bullets (by white SADF assassins) in a cross border raid. Their names are Mzwandile Mfeya (12 years), Sandiso Yose (12 years), twins Samora and Sadat Mpenduko (16 years) and Thando Mtembu (17 years).
What makes their murder even more painful is the fact that they were killed while they were sleeping. De Klerk claims military intelligence informed him that the house these boys were sleeping in, was used for operations of the PAC's armed wing, the Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA). De Klerk later admitted in a television interview that he authorised this SADF this operation (see the link to the interview below).
After all this, then in December of the same year (1993), the white world decided to reward De Klerk with a Nobel Peace prize. This is one of the reasons why I seriously question the moral and intellectual substance of any Black person who thinks the Nobel Peace prize is something prestigious or to be proud of.
And of course, in South AfriKKKa, he was rewarded by the ANC with the position of deputy president in the Government of National Unity (GNU). So, after all this, how can De Klerk not be arrogant and publicly continue to defend and justify apartheid?
De Klerk's arrogance and that of people like Zille comes from the fact that, we as Black people in South AfriKKKa are a weak group that would rather concern itself with party-political msunery, looting and competing for the affection of white people-as opposed to making sure that no foreign invader (in particular a European), even thinks about undermining us in the land of our Ancestors.
But this can't be possible in a country where Black people are generally cowards, who are terribly afraid of offending white people. I mean a great number of the people that De Klerk's National Party murdered were MK members, but last week, it was ANC members who defended him in parliament.
So how then do you expect such a mentally terrorised people to even talk about holding people like De Klerk accountable? In my view, whether or not you agree with what the EFF demanded in Parliament, is secondary.
What is primary for us as the natives of the land is to ensure that our experience as objects of European invasion - is not narrated in a manner that urinates on the thousands of Black bodies that De Klerk and his gang of European invaders, murdered.
Most importantly, the anti-black system over which De Klerk presided still remains intact and now just has a Black management committee. Therefore, De Klerk only becomes a point of reference for the broader fight to dismantle this entire system.
becomes a point of reference for the broader fight to dismantle this entire system. Black family, let us not bullshit each other! De Klerk was an enemy combatant and mass murderer of Black people. All self- respecting Black people must be mobilised to join the call to have him and others like him prosecuted.
De Klerk admits to having authorised the murder of young Black men in 1993
