Happy Birthday F W de Klerk? Yes, for he’s (now) a jolly good fellow!

Former South African presidents Nelson Mandela and F W de Klerk accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 - as co-recipients - "for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa."

As unimaginable as it was when he was president of Apartheid South Africa, F W de Klerk was fêted recently by an interracial gathering of dignitaries in this now democratic country to mark his (18 March) 70th birthday. And it was truly remarkable to read the accolades heaped upon De Klerk by some of the 200 guests who represented the full spectrum of the new South Africa: They included erstwhile De Klerk nemeses from the ruling ANC, former apartheid cabinet ministers, leading white businessmen, former Robben Island prisoners (including the governor of the reserve Bank, Tito Mboweni, and the country's first black billionaire, Tokyo Sexwale), fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Bishop Desmond Tutu and current President Thabo Mbeki. But none other than his successor, Nelson Mandela, consummated De Klerk’s praises as follows:

Around the world people recognise you as a historic peacemaker and
nation-builder.

However, this gathering was also a sublime confirmation of not only how seamless South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy was, but also how well blacks have handled their stewardship of this country. In fact, what was most remarkable about De Klerk’s birthday party was not the praises black leaders heaped upon him; instead, it was the praises De Klerk heaped upon them for South Africa’s unprecedented growth and international prestige. Here’s a little of what he said:

Despite our problems, things are going far better than even the wildest optimists would have predicted in 1989 or 1990….Our economy is booming thanks to the wise macro-economic policies that the government has implemented; inter-racial relations are, on the whole, quite good; we have an excellent constitution and free institutions and we are internationally respected….Warts and all South Africa today is a much better place than it would have been…if the National Party had tried to cling to power.

Happy Birthday, F W!

South Africa, FW de Klerk