Politician Helen Zille shared an image of a type-written letter sent by her mother to newspaper Rand Daily Mail, addressing some of the inequalities enforced by the apartheid government.

Zille said she was packing up her study when she came across the letter. She said it brought tears to her eyes as her mom questioned 'equal development'.

"The individual, his needs and his suffering have become irrelevant. The administrative machinery is only interested in papers, dates, numbers," reads one part of the letter.

Zille's mother questioned whether South Africa was headed for self-destruction, explaining how "we the onlookers lack more and more understanding."

"By dehumanising others, we undergo a moral decay and become dehumanised ourselves," states the letter.

Zille addressed some of the comments to the letter, thanking those who applauded her mother, explaining that "it's wonderful when one can be proud of one's parents". 

Here is the full letter written in 1974.