De Klerk statement insulting to black people - ANC

Cape Town – Former president FW de Klerk’s statement that some black South Africans display the "most virulent and dangerous racism" was insulting to black people, the ANC has said.

The governing party said the claim comes "from someone who embraced racism", The New Age newspaper reported.

ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said De Klerk was denying the existence of institutionalised racism in South Africa.

On Friday, the FW de Klerk Foundation laid a complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) over 45 posts on social media expressing "the most virulent and dangerous racism... from disaffected black South Africans".

"The messages are replete with threats to kill all whites - including children; to rape white women or to expel all whites from South Africa," the foundation said.

De Klerk’s statement drew condemnation from many quarters. The South African National Civic Organisation said the last apartheid president had been exposed as a charlatan.

In a tweet on Sunday, the ANC’s alliance partner, the SA Communist Party, said De Klerk’s statement was racist.

The foundation of last president of racist apartheid regime FW De Klerk says blacks are racist. This is unrepentantly racist of De Klerk.

— SACP (@SACP1921) January 17, 2016

Columnist Tom Eaton wrote: "When I read FW de Klerk was naming human rights abusers I assumed he was spilling the beans on apartheid death squads. What was I thinking?"

When I read FW de Klerk was naming human rights abusers I assumed he was spilling the beans on apartheid death squads. What was I thinking?

— Tom Eaton (@TomEatonSA) January 17, 2016

Constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos tweeted: "If you have no moral authority nor any political credibility maybe it's better to be quiet in order not to invite ridicule? #FWDeKlerk."

If you have no moral authority nor any political credibility maybe it's better to be quiet in order not to invite ridicule? #FWDeKlerk

— Pierre de Vos (@pierredevos) January 15, 2016

Only a few supported De Klerk. @KB_Youtube congratulated him for "standing up against racist blacks".

A round of applause for the @FWdeKlerkFoun for doing the right thing and reporting those violent racists.

— KB_Youtube (@SelfDefenseWolf) January 15, 2016

This article first appeared on News24 – see here.