“Yes, I'm an African, born and bred. My forebears arrived in South Africa in 1688. My later forebears fought the first modern anti-colonial war on the continent of Africa, against Great Britain. I'm an African, through and through, and the fact that I'm white does not detract from my total commitment to my country and through my country, to our continent.”

— F. W. de Klerk

On The Washington Journal of C-SPAN https://www.c-span.org/video/?124979-1/the-trek-beginning (11 June 1999)
1990s, 1999

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Yes, I'm an African, born and bred. My forebears arrived in South Africa in 1688. My later forebears fought the first m…" by F. W. de Klerk?

F. W. de Klerk 22

South African politician 1936

Related quotes

“I'm a Christian. I'm a South African. I'm an Afrikaner. I'm a lawyer. I love my country, and I think that this country has a great future. In that sense of the word, I`m a practical idealist.”

F. W. de Klerk (1936) South African politician

As quoted in "New S. African Leader`s Reforms Irk Left, Right" http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-01-01/news/9001010094_1_klerk-whites-only-zambian-president-kenneth-kaunda (1 January 1990), by Tom Masland, Chicago Tribune
1980s

“Most of all, I dislike this idea nowadays that if you're a black person in America, then you must be called African-American. Listen, I've visited Africa, and I've got news for everyone: I'm not an African. The Africans know I'm not an African. I'm an American. This is my country. My people helped to build it and we've been here for centuries. Just call me black, if you want to call me anything.”

Whoopi Goldberg (1955) American actress

The Daily Telegraph interview, 20 April 1998

“My continent is in distress and has been since the beginning of slavery. Leadership is a big problem. My hope is that things will change in Africa. Europe fought endlessly with itself in past centuries; now they have a European Union, not just in name, like the African Union. I hope that someday all the stupid wars on the African continent will end. I am amazed at the endurance of people, whether in Asia or Latin America or Africa, caught up in harsh situations.”

Uwem Akpan (1971) Nigerian Jesuit priest and writer

On his hopes for Africa in “Uwem Akpan” https://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm/author_number/1576/uwem-akpan in Book Browse

“My fellow South Africans — the people of South Africa:
This is indeed a joyous night.”

Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) President of South Africa, anti-apartheid activist

1990s, Victory speech (1994)
Context: My fellow South Africans — the people of South Africa:
This is indeed a joyous night. Although not yet final, we have received the provisional results of the election, and are delighted by the overwhelming support for the African National Congress.
To all those in the African National Congress and the democratic movement who worked so hard these last few days and through these many decades, I thank you and honour you. To the people of South Africa and the world who are watching: this a joyous night for the human spirit. This is your victory too. You helped end apartheid, you stood with us through the transition.

“I have long been convinced in my own mind that the enslaving of Africans brought from Africa or those born in this country is unjust; and it is one of the sins of the land, and I would endeavor to free my estate from the cry of such a sin against it.”

Jonathan Todd (1713–1791) American Congregational minister

Source: His will, Feburary 3, 1791, quoted in Biographical sketches of the graduates of Yale College by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, vol. 1, p. 468 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015006955192&view=1up&seq=482

“A new era has begun in South Africa. My government is removing racial discrimination. We want to be accepted by our African brothers.”

Pik Botha (1932–2018) South African politician

At the signing of the peace protocol in Brazzaville in 1988
Quoted in The Daily Maverick newspaper, 2 September 2011 http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-09-02-roelof-pik-botha-the-ultimate-survivor

“I've had a great time in South America and South Africa. Indeed it now seems that on this pair of wild hot continents I've enjoyed the most fruitful year of my life.”

John Muir (1838–1914) Scottish-born American naturalist and author

letter to William Colby (4 February 1912); published in " John Muir — President of the Sierra Club http://archive.org/stream/sierraclubbullet1019sier#page/n17/mode/2up", by William E. Colby, Sierra Club Bulletin, volume 10, number 1 (John Muir Memorial Issue, January 1916) pages 2-7 (at page 6); and in John Muir's Last Journey, edited by Michael P. Branch (Island Press, 2001), page 160
1910s

“African peoples are now writing your own story of liberty. Africans have overcome the arrogance of colonial powers, overcome the cruelty of apartheid, and made it clear that dictatorship is not the future of any nation on this continent. In the process, Africa has produced heroes of liberation, leaders like Mandela, Senghor, Nkrumah, Kenyatta, Selassie and Sadat. And many visionary African leaders, such as my friend, have grasped the power of economic and political freedom to lift whole nations and put forth bold plans for Africa's development.”

George W. Bush (1946) 43rd President of the United States

2000s, 2003, Hope and Conscience Will Not Be Silenced (July 2003)

“For us Europeans, Africa as a neighboring continent is of prime importance. The development of African countries is in our very own vested interest. We, as Germans, but also we, as members of the European Union, will have to deal with this.”

Angela Merkel (1954) Chancellor of Germany

2016, Joint press conference of 17 November 2016

“Why have the leaders of the most powerful country on the African continent (Mandela, Mbeki and Zuma) succored the leader of the most corrupt (Mugabe)? These South African strongmen were, in a manner, saluting the Alpha Male Mugabe by implementing a slow-motion version of his program. When he socked it to the whites, Mugabe cemented his status as hero to black activists and their sycophants across South Africa.”

Ilana Mercer South African writer

" Why All Three South-African Presidents Supported Robert Mugabe https://townhall.com/columnists/ilanamercer/2017/11/30/why-all-three-southafrican-presidents-supported-robert-mugabe-n2416210," Townhall.com, November 30, 2017
2010s, 2017

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

F. W. de Klerk 22

Related quotes

Related topics