IF THE ANC were to name a street or building after Marthinus "Kortbroek" van Schalkwyk for whatever reason, would the public support or oppose the move? There is no easy answer.
Just to jog your memory. Van Schalkwyk was the last leader of the New National Party.
He sold the party out - after the failed marriage with the Democratic Party, now the Democratic Alliance - to the ANC, much to the annoyance of Afrikaners, and was rewarded with a cabinet post for that. He is now minister of tourism.
Recently, the North West University wanted to honour Lucas Mangope by naming a building after him. Mangope played a pivotal role in the formation of this institution of higher learning. And the university wanted to honour him for his invaluable contribution.
The decision to honour Mangope has caused an uproar. That was to be expected.
The university management was accused of taking us back to the bad old days. As a result the higher learning institution succumbed to pressure and postponed the renaming of the building, citing consultation as a reason for that.
The truth is that Mangope is still seen as a traitor and stooge of the apartheid government because of his past role.
As a leader of the then Bophuthatswana he ruled with an iron fist. He also didn't recognise liberation movements such as the ANC.
It appears people are still struggling to forgive the former Bantustan leaders, Mangope included. The brouhaha around the honouring of the United Christian Democratic Party leader by the North West University attests to that.
The pertinent question is: when are we going to forgive and reconcile with them, just like we did with the white Afrikaners? Will that happen in our lifetime? If it doesn't, history will judge us harshly.
If the ANC was able to forgive former nationalists and welcomed them as members, why can't we forgive the ex-Bantustan leaders? Have they committed an unforgivable sin?
Former apartheid foreign affairs minister Pik Botha is now a member of the governing party.
Nelson Mandela is regarded as a saint (though in his new published book he says he is no saint) by the world because of his reconciliatory spirit.
He forgave white Afrikaners who jailed him for 27 years for fighting the evil of apartheid. For that he was deservedly awarded a Nobel Peace Price together with FW de Klerk, the last apartheid president. What did De Klerk do to deserve such an honour? This is a topic for another day.
Interestingly, the same Mandela who is regarded as a "saint" never extended a hand of reconciliation to the former Bantustan leaders. Why? Because they are black people? So you become a legend when you reconcile with whites, not blacks?
Does that explain why Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is the enemy of the world? For the record, I hold no brief for Mugabe.
Are we suffering from selective amnesia? Former Bantustan leaders were also victims of apartheid.
They were used by the regime to achieve its diabolical objectives. So we must stop being hypocritical and forgive only a certain section of our community to appease the West. It's time we forgive and reconcile with Mangope and his ilk.
Why can't we forgive former Bantustan leaders?
IF THE ANC were to name a street or building after Marthinus "Kortbroek" van Schalkwyk for whatever reason, would the public support or oppose the move? There is no easy answer.
Just to jog your memory. Van Schalkwyk was the last leader of the New National Party.
He sold the party out - after the failed marriage with the Democratic Party, now the Democratic Alliance - to the ANC, much to the annoyance of Afrikaners, and was rewarded with a cabinet post for that. He is now minister of tourism.
Recently, the North West University wanted to honour Lucas Mangope by naming a building after him. Mangope played a pivotal role in the formation of this institution of higher learning. And the university wanted to honour him for his invaluable contribution.
The decision to honour Mangope has caused an uproar. That was to be expected.
The university management was accused of taking us back to the bad old days. As a result the higher learning institution succumbed to pressure and postponed the renaming of the building, citing consultation as a reason for that.
The truth is that Mangope is still seen as a traitor and stooge of the apartheid government because of his past role.
As a leader of the then Bophuthatswana he ruled with an iron fist. He also didn't recognise liberation movements such as the ANC.
It appears people are still struggling to forgive the former Bantustan leaders, Mangope included. The brouhaha around the honouring of the United Christian Democratic Party leader by the North West University attests to that.
The pertinent question is: when are we going to forgive and reconcile with them, just like we did with the white Afrikaners? Will that happen in our lifetime? If it doesn't, history will judge us harshly.
If the ANC was able to forgive former nationalists and welcomed them as members, why can't we forgive the ex-Bantustan leaders? Have they committed an unforgivable sin?
Former apartheid foreign affairs minister Pik Botha is now a member of the governing party.
Nelson Mandela is regarded as a saint (though in his new published book he says he is no saint) by the world because of his reconciliatory spirit.
He forgave white Afrikaners who jailed him for 27 years for fighting the evil of apartheid. For that he was deservedly awarded a Nobel Peace Price together with FW de Klerk, the last apartheid president. What did De Klerk do to deserve such an honour? This is a topic for another day.
Interestingly, the same Mandela who is regarded as a "saint" never extended a hand of reconciliation to the former Bantustan leaders. Why? Because they are black people? So you become a legend when you reconcile with whites, not blacks?
Does that explain why Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is the enemy of the world? For the record, I hold no brief for Mugabe.
Are we suffering from selective amnesia? Former Bantustan leaders were also victims of apartheid.
They were used by the regime to achieve its diabolical objectives. So we must stop being hypocritical and forgive only a certain section of our community to appease the West. It's time we forgive and reconcile with Mangope and his ilk.
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