THE F W DE KLERK FOUNDATION BOARD AWARDS THE 2012 F W DE KLERK GOODWILL AWARD TO PIETER-DIRK UYS

The F W de Klerk Foundation Board has decided to award the 2012 F W de Klerk Goodwill Award to Pieter-Dirk Uys for his exemplary contribution to the promotion of goodwill in South Africa. 

The Board chose Pieter-Dirk Uys for the award because of his life-long career of making South Africans laugh at the absurdities of racism and his exemplary work in alerting South Africans - and particularly schoolchildren - to the threat of HIV/AIDS.

Pieter-Dirk Uys's humour has helped generations of South Africans to see themselves, their prejudices and the complexities of South Africa in perspective. The Board believes that laughing at oneself, at one's leaders, and at one's pomposities does more to break down prejudice than any number of political sermons, lectures or editorials.

The Board also believes that Pieter-Dirk Uys's enormous contribution to HIV/AIDS education deserves wider recognition. In the course of his campaign against HIV/AIDS, he has warned more than 1,5 million school children, prisoners and inmates of reformatories of the deadly threat of AIDS.

The Award was established by the Board In October 2010 to honour the person - or organisation - who, in its opinion, has made an exemplary contribution to the promotion of goodwill between South Africans. The Award is announced annually on The Day of Reconciliation and will be presented to Pieter-Dirk Uys at the Foundation's annual Gala Dinner on 2 February 2012. 

Dr Danny Jordaan was the first recipient of the Award in February this year for the enormous contribution that the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup made to the promotion of goodwill and national unity.

Statement issued by the FW de Klerk Foundation, December 16 2011

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