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world news Diabierna 12 november 2021

South Africa’s last apartheid president, F.W. de Klerk, dies

(AP) — F.W. de Klerk, who avoid responsibility for the into negotiations with the
shared the Nobel Peace enormity of the abuses of liberation movement amid
Prize with Nelson Man- apartheid, including in his severe pressure to the con-
dela and as South Africa’s testimony at the Truth and trary from many in his politi-
last apartheid president Reconciliation Commission, cal constituency.”
oversaw the end of the which was chaired by Tutu.
country’s white minority At that time, Tutu expressed It was de Klerk who in a
rule, has died aged 85. disappointment that de Klerk speech to South Africa’s par-
did not fully apologize for the liament on Feb. 2, 1990, an-
Frederik Willem de Klerk evils of apartheid, the state- nounced that Mandela would
died after a battle against ment noted. be released from prison after
cancer at his home in the 27 years. The announcement
Fresnaye area of Cape Town, Even posthumously, de Klerk electrified a country that for
a spokesman for his founda- sought to address this criti- decades had been scorned
tion confirmed Thursday. cism in a video message in and sanctioned by much of
which he said he was sorry the world for its brutal sys-
De Klerk was a controver- for his role in apartheid. His tem of racial discrimination
sial figure in South Africa foundation released the video known as apartheid.
where many blamed him for after announcing his death.
violence against Black South With South Africa’s isolation and toward democracy. ence, he and fellow laureate
Africans and anti-apartheid “Let me today, in the last deepening and its once-solid Mandela remained political
activists during his time in message repeat: I, without economy deteriorating, de The country would be, de opponents, with strong dis-
power, while some white qualification, apologize for Klerk, who had been elected Klerk told the media after his agreements. But they would
South Africans saw his efforts the pain and the hurt, and the president just five months fateful speech, “a new South move forward “because there
to end apartheid as a betrayal. indignity, and the damage, to earlier, also announced in the Africa.” But Mandela’s re- is no other road to peace and
Black, brown and Indians in same speech the lifting of a lease was just the beginning prosperity for the people of
“De Klerk’s legacy is a big South Africa,” said a visibly ban on the African National of intense political nego- our country.”
one. It is also an uneven one, gaunt and frail de Klerk. Congress and other anti- tiations on the way forward.
something South Africans apartheid political groups. Power would shift. A new After Mandela became presi-
are called to reckon with in He said his view of apartheid constitution would be writ- dent, de Klerk served as
this moment,” the Mandela had changed since the early Amid gasps, several members ten. Ways of life would be deputy president until 1996,
Foundation said of his death. 1980s. of parliament left the cham- upended. when his party withdrew
ber as he spoke. from the Cabinet. In making
Retired Anglican Archbishop “It was as if I had a conver- “There is an element of un- history, de Klerk acknowl-
Desmond Tutu, another tow- sion. And in my heart of Nine days later, Mandela certainty, obviously, with re- edged that Mandela’s re-
ering anti-apartheid activist, hearts, I realized that apart- walked free. gard to everything which lies lease was the culmination of
issued a similarly guarded heid was wrong. I realized in the future,” de Klerk calm- what his predecessor, former
statement about de Klerk’s that we have arrived at a place Four years after that, Man- ly told reporters on Feb. 10, President P.W. Botha, had be-
death. which was morally unjustifi- dela was elected the country’s 1990, after announcing that gun by meeting secretly with
able.” first Black president as Black Mandela would be released Mandela shortly before leav-
De Klerk “played an impor- South Africans voted for the the following day. ing office. In the late 1980s,
tant role in South Africa’s South African President first time. as protests inside and outside
history ... he recognized the Cyril Ramaphosa said that de The toll of the transition was the country continued, the
moment for change and Klerk “played a vital role in By then, de Klerk and Man- high. As de Klerk said in his ruling party had begun mak-
demonstrated the will to act our transition to democracy dela had been awarded the Nobel lecture in December ing some reforms, getting rid
on it,” said Tutu’s founda- in the 1990s ... He took the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for 1993, more than 3,000 died of some apartheid laws.
tion. courageous decision to un- their often-tense cooperation in political violence in South
ban political parties, release in moving South Africa away Africa that year alone. As he De Klerk is survived by his
However, de Klerk tried to political prisoners and enter from institutionalized racism reminded his Nobel audi- wife, Elita, and two children.

Calls mount for Israel to free Palestinians on hunger strike

(AP) — Israel faced grow- ing rallies across the Israeli- said. cupied West Bank, where he under 24-hour medical su-
ing calls on Thursday to occupied West Bank and says he would halt his hunger pervision in a prison medical
release five Palestinians Gaza in solidarity with the Kayed Fasfous, 32, has been strike. facility, while another, who
who have been on hunger hunger strike and to protest on hunger strike for at least has been fasting for 30 days,
strike for weeks to protest against administrative deten- 120 days and is hospital- Fasfous would also be subject does not require that degree
a controversial policy of tion. Prisoners have held a ized in Israel. His weight has to arrest again once he recov- of care. The official spoke on
holding them indefinitely number of hunger strikes in dropped from 95 to 45 kilo- ers. Israel regularly detains condition of anonymity be-
without charge, including recent years to protest the grams (210 to 100 pounds), Palestinian suspects from cause the prison service does
one who has been fasting policy and to campaign for according to a recent evalu- across the occupied West not generally share medical
for 120 days and is in se- better prison conditions, but ation by Dr. Amit Tirosh, an Bank, including in areas gov- information about prisoners.
vere condition. the latest appears to be among Israeli physician, on behalf erned by the internationally
the most serious. of Physicians for Human recognized Palestinian Au- Miqdad Qawasmeh, 24, who
Israel says the policy, known Rights-Israel. thority. had been on hunger strike
as “administrative detention,” The Israeli military did not for 113 days, ended his strike
is needed to detain suspects respond to a request for com- Tirosh told The Associated Hundreds of Palestinians, early Thursday after being
without disclosing sensitive ment. Press that a hunger strikes including Fasfous’ brother, told he will be released in
intelligence, while the Pal- can cause “severe, prolonged took part in a demonstra- February, his lawyer, Jawad
estinians and human rights The five Palestinians, rang- and irreparable” brain and tion in the West Bank town Boulos, told The Associated
groups say it denies them due ing in age from 28 to 45, have cognitive damage. of Dhahiriya on Thursday Press.
process. Suspects can be held been on hunger strike for at in solidarity with the hunger
for months or years without least 32 days. A sixth prisoner Fasfous’ detention has strikers. Israel’s prison service said it
seeing the evidence against ended his 113-day hunger been suspended on health is holding at least 488 people
them. strike on Thursday after be- grounds, but Israel has re- An Israeli prison service of- in administrative detention.
ing told he will be released fused his request to be trans- ficial said three of the hunger
Palestinians have been hold- in three months, his lawyer ferred to a hospital in the oc- strikers are in stable condition