Mr de Klerk was speaking at a Johannesburg conference organised by his
eponymous foundation to discuss the policy options facing the ANC. He warned
that some elements in the ANC were pushing “dangerous, radical and divisive”
communist-style policies that would plunge the country into deeper poverty.
Among them are calls by Julius Malema, the expelled ANC youth leader, for
mine nationalisation and forcible land grabs.
Mr de Klerk urged South Africans not to be “lounge critics” but to join forces
to safeguard the country’s future.
William Gumede, an author, said Mr de Klerk was right about the racial
rhetoric.
“Racial divisions appear to have heightened because of continuing inequality
along racial lines and you will always have opportunistic politicians
exploiting that,” he said. But he said Mr de Klerk and members of the old
apartheid regime still had a role to play in defusing the argument and
taking responsibility for their policies.
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