South Africa is making great strides since the abandonment of white minority rule, but the country faces great economic challenges, a new consul general for the "rainbow nation" said this week.
J. Hendrik de Klerk, Los Angeles, was in Utah during his first visit to the Beehive State since Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress took over less than two years ago in South Africa, which has been tagged a "rainbow" because of its wide diversity in races, colors, languages and religions.The jurisdiction of de Klerk, who was appointed to his diplomatic post last February and who was a co-chairman for the inauguration of Mandela in May 1994, includes Utah and 13 other western states.
De Klerk said in an interview Tuesday that what has happened in his country could be seen as a "political miracle against the odds we were facing." But despite gains made since the discontinuance of apartheid, the nation of 40 million people is still facing enormous economic challenges, he said.
He termed the 1994 general election and the Nov. 1 local elections, which were certified by international observers, as "free and fair." And he spoke highly of Mandela and gains made by the country in improving on its "homemade democracy."
He said, "It's not your typical western democracy. That is why we believe it will endure. You can't transplant the U.S. system to South Africa or to (other places in) Africa and think it will work. Maybe that is why so many democracies failed in the rest of Africa."
De Klerk said the South African economy has suffered because of economic sanctions by the international community. The country was not allowed to trade freely and normally from about 1985 to 1994 because of apartheid, he said.
"We are optimistic that the South African economy can grow at the rate of 5 to 6 percent over the next 10 years. Coming out of almost a recession, economic growth is at 3.5 percent. That is pretty good (considering we were at) almost negative growth two years ago," he said.
De Klerk said U.S. companies are returning to South Africa. Hyatt is constructing hotels in Durban, Johannesburg and other places, and tourism is showing strong growth. The number of airlines flying to South Africa has tripled in the past two years, he pointed out.
Whereas in the past the country exported raw materials, today many of the materials are being manufactured within South Africa by South African and international firms, he said. He noted that the U.S. government has identified South Africa as one of the top 10 emerging consumer markets in the world. The United States sees South Africa as a catalyst for positive change in not only economic but political and other development in all of Africa, he said.
De Klerk said Mandela and the African National Congress are working to make good on promises for more housing, better education and improved health care and other services for South Africans.
De Klerk said Mandela is an "inspiration to not only all of South Africa but to the rest of the world" because of the things he has done and accomplished after spending 27 years in jail.
De Klerk was accompanied to the Deseret News by Robert P. Thorn, Bountiful, honorary consul representing South Africa to Utah and a former LDS mission president in that country.
While in Utah, de Klerk visited with the LDS Church's First Presidency and Gov. Mike Leavitt.