"By April 27 1994, under my leadership, the whole legislative framework of apartheid had been dismantled and the way had been opened for the adoption of our present non-racial democratic constitution," continued the statement.
"However, the international crime of apartheid did not disappear with the demise of apartheid in South Africa. In 1998 it was included in the Statute of Rome, which established the International Criminal Court. In terms of article 7(1), a ‘crime against humanity’ is defined as acts 'committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.'
"It includes ‘the crime of apartheid’ as a crime against humanity and defines it as 'inhumane acts ... committed in the context of an institutional regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime'.
"The FW de Klerk Foundation supports this provision. It can also be seen as the legislative expression of Nelson Mandela’s statement during his inaugural address that 'never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another'."
The foundation added that it was deeply committed to national reconciliation and to the achievement of the foundational values on which the constitution is based - including human dignity, the achievement of equality, the advancement of human rights and freedoms; non-racialism and non-sexism, the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law and a genuine multi-party system of democratic governance.
FW de Klerk apologises for statement that apartheid was not a crime against humanity
Image: Gallo Images / Nardus Engelbrecht
FW de Klerk has apologised for a statement on Friday in which his foundation justified its stance that apartheid was not a crime against humanity.
It also unconditionally withdrew the statement, which came the day after the EFF took De Klerk on at the state of the nation address (Sona), demanding that he be removed from the house over his role as the last apartheid president.
De Klerk was a joint deputy president under former president Nelson Mandela in 1994.
"I have taken note of the vehement reaction to our response to the EFF’s attack on me at the state of the nation address on Thursday night," said De Klerk in a statement on Monday.
"I agree with the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation that this is not the time to quibble about the degrees of unacceptability of apartheid. It was totally unacceptable.
De Klerk & apartheid: Anger mounts as more 'denials' emerge
"The FW de Klerk Foundation has accordingly decided to withdraw its statement of February 14 unconditionally and apologises for the confusion, anger and hurt that it has caused.
"By April 27 1994, under my leadership, the whole legislative framework of apartheid had been dismantled and the way had been opened for the adoption of our present non-racial democratic constitution," continued the statement.
"However, the international crime of apartheid did not disappear with the demise of apartheid in South Africa. In 1998 it was included in the Statute of Rome, which established the International Criminal Court. In terms of article 7(1), a ‘crime against humanity’ is defined as acts 'committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.'
"It includes ‘the crime of apartheid’ as a crime against humanity and defines it as 'inhumane acts ... committed in the context of an institutional regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime'.
"The FW de Klerk Foundation supports this provision. It can also be seen as the legislative expression of Nelson Mandela’s statement during his inaugural address that 'never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another'."
The foundation added that it was deeply committed to national reconciliation and to the achievement of the foundational values on which the constitution is based - including human dignity, the achievement of equality, the advancement of human rights and freedoms; non-racialism and non-sexism, the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law and a genuine multi-party system of democratic governance.
Tutu takes on De Klerk: Withdraw your statement about apartheid
De Klerk has been widely condemned following a statement by his foundation in which the foundation claimed that the idea that apartheid was a crime against humanity was, and remains, an "agitprop" project initiated by the Soviets and their ANC/SACP allies to stigmatise white South Africans by associating them with genuine crimes against humanity - which have generally included totalitarian repression and the slaughter of millions of people.
On Thursday, the EFF disrupted President Cyril Ramaphosa's state of the nation address demanding that De Klerk, who was sitting in the public gallery be kicked out of the event as "he had blood on his hands".
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