The Economic Freedom Fighters says it intends to open a forensic inquest into the murders committed during apartheid under the regime of F.W De Klerk.
The party says that recent comments made by De Klerk and his foundation show that the apartheid-era leader still seeks to justify the crimes committed against black people.
In a statement the De Klerk Foundation claims that the United Nation’s classification of apartheid as a crime against humanity formed part of an agenda by the Soviet Union and the African National Congress along with its allies to stigmatize white South Africans. The statement also sought to justify and reason as to why apartheid was not a crime against humanity.
This follows similar remarks made by De Klerk during a television interview. EFF spokesperson Delisile Ngwenya says government must also take action against those who seek to deny the severity and injustice of apartheid.
“The EFF will explore all legal options to reopen a forensic inquest against De Klerk on all people who were killed by the state under his presidency with the aim of prosecuting him for the apartheid murders. It is evident now that De Klerk will only appreciate that apartheid was a crime against humanity if he faces prosecution. The parliament should enact laws that criminalise apartheid denialism.”
READ: De Klerk Foundation statement on apartheid not being a crime against humanity
The South African Communist Party condemned the statement and its apparent defence of Apartheid, while the Council of Churches(SACC), has urged De Klerk and his Foundation to retract the statement and apologise for the hurt they have caused to ordinary South Africans.
The Economic Freedom Fighters Statement on De Klerk’s Apartheid Denialism. pic.twitter.com/Yda4llefAJ
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) February 15, 2020
[WATCH] The South African Council of Churches is calling on the De Klerk Foundation to retract and apologise
De Klerk served as a deputy president during the Mandela era and also was the last president of Apartheid South Africa.
Ngwenya says De Klerk’s denialism violates international law and the South African Constitution.
“De Klerks apartheid denialism is also a violation of the UN resolution that apartheid is a crime against humanity. Disregarding the UN and international law is a violation of the SA constitution meaning that De Klerk has no regard of the democratic order.”
[WATCH] The United Nations unequivocally confirmed that Apartheid was a crime against humanity.
[WATCH] Former President FW de Klerk on unbanning of political parties and Mandela’s release
