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Harry Schwarz Quotes

Harry Heinz Schwarz was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid in South Africa, who eventually served as the South African Ambassador to the United States during the country's transition to majority rule.

Schwarz rose from the childhood poverty he experienced as a German-Jewish refugee to become a lawyer and a member of the Transvaal Provincial Council, where from 1963 to 1974, he was Leader of the Opposition. In the 1964 Rivonia Trial he was a defence lawyer. Advocating a more aggressive political opposition to the National Party's racial policies in the 1960s and 1970s, as Leader of the United Party in Transvaal and leader of the liberal "Young Turks", he clashed with the United Party establishment. He pioneered the call in white politics for a negotiated end to apartheid and in 1974 signed the Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith with Mangosuthu Buthelezi for a non-racial democratic society in South Africa. He was in the opposition for over 40 years and was a founding member of the Democratic Party. In light of his record, his appointment as South African Ambassador to the United States in 1990 was widely heralded as symbolic of the government's commitment to ending apartheid, and played a significant role in renewing the nation's image as the new democratic South Africa.As a South African Air Force World War II veteran during the 1950s, Schwarz co-founded the Torch Commando, an ex-soldiers' movement to protest against the disenfranchisement of coloured people in South Africa. Described as South Africa's "most feisty politician" and a political "maverick", he was known for his parliamentary clashes with the apartheid government over its racial and economic policies. In his political career spanning 43 years, in which he gained respect from across the political spectrum, he never lost an election. In 1988 he received the Order for Meritorious Service and received several Honorary Doctorates. He was also one of the South African Jewish community's foremost leaders and spoke out strongly against anti-semitism.Schwarz was described by the University of Stellenbosch as "one of the conceptual and moral fathers of the new South Africa" in the sense that he had not only been one of apartheid's most prominent opponents, but his ideas and the initiatives he had taken had played a key role in the development of the concept of a negotiated democracy in South Africa, based on the principles of freedom and justice. Nelson Mandela, a friend of his whom he visited while in prison, described him as a "champion of the poor". Wikipedia  

✵ 13. May 1924 – 5. February 2010
Harry Schwarz photo
Harry Schwarz: 17   quotes 2   likes

Famous Harry Schwarz Quotes

“I must and will work to ensure that the new democratic South Africa has a fair chance to succeed economically as well as politically, and to try to assist in fulfilling at least a part of the dream of the oppressed and deprived when the new South Africa is born.”

Harry Schwarz

Speech to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C, April 1991.
As ambassador to the United States
Source: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-05-16/news/1991136167_1_south-africa-schwarz-frances-academy

“The mission must be adherence to and the advancement of the concept of a truly democratic political system and economic system which gives not only rights and opportunity but also security.”

Harry Schwarz

Cape Times (1 November 1989)
Parliament (1974-1991)
Source: http://www.samedia.uovs.ac.za/cgi-bin/getpdf?id=2201962

“I make this appeal to Mr Botha: Show this statesmanship, show that at this time you will not allow our unity of purpose to overcome the real problems to be threatened.”

Harry Schwarz

During a speech to a protest in Cape Town City Hall, appealing for the Prime Minister to reconsider a bill that would heavily restrict press freedom.
The Argus, page 1-2, (1979)
Parliament (1974-1991)
Source: http://www.samedia.uovs.ac.za/cgi-bin/getpdf?id=2070660

“I regard the Honourable member for Randburg as a friend. I regard him as a person who has done tremendous work as treasurer of the United Party on the Witswatersrand branch. The test of friendship comes in what you do as a man in adversity. I want to say, and I make so secret of it, that I am my brother's keeper and I will not be his executioner.”

Harry Schwarz

An extract from Schwarz's "Brother's Keeper" speech to parliament where Schwarz was expelled from the United Party after declaring support for Dick Enthoven MP and his anti-apartheid policies. (10 February 1975).
Parliament (1974-1991)

“Whenever I draw up economic policy I look at it from the point of view of the person who has nothing; I look at it from the point of view of my farther who tried to get a job but could not.”

Harry Schwarz

Sunday Times (18 November 1990).
Parliament (1974-1991)
Source: http://www.samedia.uovs.ac.za/cgi-bin/getpdf?id=2056613

“Morality is cheap when someone else is paying.”

Harry Schwarz

The Herald Times (1988) http://www.samedia.uovs.ac.za/cgi-bin/getpdf?id=1030957.
Sanctions and disinvestment from South Africa

Harry Schwarz Quotes about people

“I have an obligation to the 37 million people in South Africa to ensure their well-being. But the road from slavery to the promised land is a rough one.”

Harry Schwarz

During a Speech to the Philadelphia World Affairs Council, 12 June 1991.
As ambassador to the United States
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1991-06-13/news/25788736_1_group-areas-act-sanctions-africa-blacks

“I said, 'Down with apartheid' before some of them [demonstrators] were born. I was supporting the dismantling of apartheid when America was standing on the sidelines and only a few people knew what apartheid was about.”

Harry Schwarz

Responding to demonstrations against his presence while giving a speech at St. Frances Academy fund-raising dinner, 20 May 1991.
As ambassador to the United States
Source: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-05-21/news/1991141043_1_schwarz-ambassador-apartheid

“The National Party does not care about people, it only cares about power.”

Harry Schwarz

Rand Daily Mail, (2 February 1981)
Parliament (1974-1991)
Source: http://www.samedia.uovs.ac.za/cgi-bin/getpdf?id=2000874

“Laws alone is not enough to ensure that freedom is safeguarded. What is required is a sprit of freedom among the people concerned. There must be an atmosphere of respect, a feeling of belonging together, an atmosphere of harmony with fellow beings.”

Harry Schwarz

Herald Times, (4 November 1979)
Parliament (1974-1991)
Source: http://www.samedia.uovs.ac.za/cgi-bin/getpdf?id=1552889

“I believe people are not free if all they can do is cast a vote every five years to decide who should govern them. What does it mean to a man in a shack built by himself with no amenities and not knowing where his next meal is coming from, to vote? An election is about power. It is relevant to freedom only if those elected govern efficiently, honestly and carry out the electoral promises made.”

Harry Schwarz

The Mercury (17 November 2009).
Final speech

Harry Schwarz Quotes

“It is important that in the process of change, existing institutions of value and means of production are not destroyed. The fabric of society, however critical one may be of its present structures, should be adopted and modified where required, but not destroyed.”

Harry Schwarz

Lecture at University of British Columbia (12 October 1976).
Parliament (1974-1991)

Change

“My lord, one can perhaps be pardoned for saying that perhaps his (Jimmy Kantor) biggest crime, if it is a crime, is that he was a partner of Harold Wolpe, and that Harold Wolpe was his brother-in-law.”

Harry Schwarz

Rivonia Trial

Law

“I wish my country were like I wanted it to be, but as it is not, I hope it will one day get to this way of living.”

Harry Schwarz

The Mercury (17 November 2009).
Final speech

Hope , Way , Country

“Freedom is incomplete if it is exercised in poverty.”

Harry Schwarz

Harry Schwarz in 'Poverty Corrodes Freedom' (1993).
Parliament (1974-1991)

Exercises , Freedom

“My Lord, it is difficult to reply in a restrained fashion. My learned friend must not use words such as 'Communist' lightly, when he refers to Kantor. Kantor is not a Communist. My learned friend has used the tactics of McCarthyism in an endeavour to smear him. I think, with respect, my learned friend is allowing himself to run away with facts that are not there. His complaint in count one is not that they found files with evidence. Oh not, he says that we found files with nothing in them. Not in Kantor's office, but in the office of Wolpe. Then my learned friend that the practice had been ruined and liquidated Knator's practice, my lord, it is not Kantor. It is not Kantor! Why I say it is so difficult to be restrained, is that my learned friend has thrown in everything hat concerns every accused in this case, and says 'that is why I don't want Kantor to get bail'.”

Harry Schwarz

Jimmy Kantor in 'A healthy grave' (1967).
Rivonia Trial

Fashion , Thinking , Learning

“If we are going to have greater unemployment, if we are going to have more unrest, the chances of a negotiated settlement will be less and in a revolutionary situation the chances of a truly free democratic society emerging are reduced.”

Harry Schwarz

The Herald Times (1988) http://www.samedia.uovs.ac.za/cgi-bin/getpdf?id=1030957.
Sanctions and disinvestment from South Africa

Chance

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