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Crime SA's biggest problem - FW
26/03/2008 20:19 - (SA)
Berlin - South Africa's economy and civil society are strong, ensuring the country will not follow the downward spiral of Zimbabwe, said FW de Klerk in an interview published in Germany, but he warned crime was driving out whites.
De Klerk, who shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with his successor as president, Nelson Mandela, predicted a period of great uncertainty and warned that crime was driving skilled whites out of the country.
But he insisted in an interview with the daily newspaper, Die Welt: "The moderate centre is holding, across all racial lines."
The former president, who began dismantling apartheid on taking the helm in 1989, predicted that the dominant African National Congress would maintain its alliance with the trade-union movement and the Communist Party and remain in power.
He dismissed the fears of many regarding newly-elected ANC leader Jacob Zuma, bidding to take over when President Thabo Mbeki steps down after two terms in May 2009.
De Klerk predicted that ANC moderates would form a new party if Zuma took unacceptable decisions.
Fighting crime top priority
De Klerk, 71, expressed criticism of ANC leaders for a "racist undertone" in some of their speeches and he was also critical of Mbeki for his criticism of South African whites.
The biggest challenge facing South Africa was reducing poverty, said De Klerk, pointing out that about half the population was living under the poverty level.
The highest priority had to be given to fighting crime, he said.
Mbeki had recently for the first time acknowledged that crime was a serious threat.
"Now action must follow," said De Klerk, who helped manage a constitutional handover of power to a majority government under Mandela in 1994. - Sapa-dpa
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