Plea for former South Africa racist leader De Klerk

Gauteng DA leader and federal leader candidate John Moodey says calls that former president FW de Klerk be stripped of his Nobel Peace Prize are "a step too far".

Moodey also called on South Africans to forgive the embattled former statesman.

De Klerk faced a renewed wave of criticism recently after he told SABC News that apartheid was not a crime against humanity.

Speaking through his foundation, De Klerk later retracted the statement and apologised "for the confusion, anger and hurt that it has caused".

It also agreed that apartheid was indeed a crime against humanity, as defined by the United Nations.

On Monday, EFF member Dali Mpofu, an advocate, launched a campaign to have De Klerk stripped of his Nobel Peace Prize, which he was awarded in 1993 alongside the man who succeeded him as president, Nelson Mandela.

While Moodey noted that he was "deeply offended by De Klerk's denial", he said the former president had shown "contrition".

"Through the De Klerk Foundation, the former president has retracted the hurtful statement and apologised. I forgive him," Moodey said in his statement.

"I do not believe that his contribution to a peaceful South Africa should be rubbished and erased."

It appears not everyone in the DA shared Moodey's views.

DA leader in KwaZulu-Natal, Zwakele Mncwango, has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to lead a drive to have De Klerk's prize withdrawn.

"All those years, I thought he was genuine, and even his foundation defended his comments, which means they also believed he is right. The apology is kind of fake because he only apologised under pressure from South Africans and the international com

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned that the South African government's plan to expropriate land without compensation will be "disastrous" for the economy and the nation. 

Mr Pompeo made the comments in Ethiopia, the final leg of his visit to Africa, which also saw him going to Angola and Senegal. 

“South Africa is debating an amendment to permit the expropriation of private property without compensation. That would be disastrous for that economy, and most importantly for the South African people,” he was quoted by Bloomberg news agency as saying.

African economies needed “strong rule of law, respect for property rights [and] regulation that encourages investment”, he added.

Land is a deeply emotive issue in South Africa

Image caption: Land is a deeply emotive issue in South Africa

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to press ahead with amending the constitution to allow land expropriation without compensation in order to tackle the "historical injustice" caused by the white-minority rule.

Most of the country's farms and agricultural holdings are owned by white farmers - 72% according to government statistics. White people make up 9% of the population.

The government's plan has been fiercely resisted by the main opposition Democratic Alliance party, and mainly white lobby groups.

In 2018, US President Donald Trump said he had asked Mr Pompeo "to closely study the land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large-scale killing of farmers".

The South African government said Mr Trump was "misinformed", and it would take up the matter through diplomatic channels.