South Africa - de Klerk interview

Mandela wanted to postpone release

Article published on the 2010-02-11 Latest update 2010-02-11 17:23 TU

A portrait of Nelson Mandela by O.J.Zwane in Soweto
(Photo: Reuters)

Nelson Mandela told the former President of South Africa FW de Klerk that he wanted to postpone his release from prison. In an interview with RFI, de Klerk says Mandela said it was too soon and he was not prepared.

“I recall telling him,” says de Klerk, “Mr. Mandela, you and I will be negotiating about many things after your release, but the date of your release is not negotiable, you’ve been in jail long enough.”

The former President and Nobel Peace Prize-winner says they originally intended to release Mandela in Johannesburg, where he was sentenced, but again Mandela refused. He said he preferred to be released in Victor Verster.

“We conceded to that,” says de Klerk, “and that was it.”

Mandela’s release may have marked the end of apartheid, but also the beginning of a new era of political turmoil.

“We failed,” says de Klerk.

“One of the reasons why in South Africa the idea of a nation state finally failed was because the whites wanted to keep too much land for themselves.

“The main reason was that the majority of blacks said ‘this is not how we want our political life’ and the third main factor was that we’d become economically totally inter-dependent.

“I’m on record as having said we’d become an omelette, and you can’t unscramble an omelette.”