Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: A Pretoria official's search for the truth Date: Mon, 26 Oct 92 14:37:03 EST Message-ID: \SE A;WORLD \HD A Pretoria official's search for the truth \BY Neil McMahon \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES \DT PRETORIA, South Africa PRETORIA, South Africa - Candor is Leon Wessels' specialty. Dubbed the "Minister for Truth," the longtime member of South Africa's ruling National Party recently made headlines when he offered an apology for apartheid that stunned both blacks and whites. "Apartheid," he told Parliament, "was a dreadful mistake that blighted our land and its people. I am sorry for having been so hard of hearing for so long, so indifferent." That was a year ago. Last month Mr. Wessels did it again, with a speech in which he defied white opinion on the use of such national symbols as the flag and the national anthem. Such symbols, he told an audience of National Party supporters, should be confined to history. "If we want to prevent South Africa from becoming a second Sarajevo, we must now find symbols which unite us," he said. Mr. Wessels says his political views mark a personal journey that he wants others to take. He points to President Frederik de Klerk's partial apology this month as an example of a white South African moving to a personal accommodation with the past. "I believe it has to do with one's personal exposure, to really act according to your individual conscience on this matter," he said in an interview. "I believe that when the state president articulates it the way he does, it's because of his background, his experience, his exposure." Mr. Wessels points to his time on parliamentary committees deciding the future of the Mixed Marriages and Immorality Acts - laws that barred marriage and sexual relations across racial lines - as helping him "understand the pain and the hurt and the crying of people." Even in the 1980s he was regarded as "a new, enlightened" nationalist, and although he admits to moments of doubt during those dark days, he says he was always optimistic reform would come. Since reform began in early 1990, Mr. Wessels has risen steadily through the ranks to his current post as minister for housing and local government. His housing portfolio presents particular challenges in a country where 3 million people are effectively homeless. His coments on the brutality of the past and continuing injustices of the present have won him respect among the government's black political opponents, including African National Congress President Nelson Mandela. Mr. Mandela recently told Mr. Wessels that his apartheid apology had been a great help in demonstrating that the government was genuine about reform. Mr. Wessels is an invaluable presence in a party that has yet to convincingly answer the question of whether the reforms of the past two years have a moral basis, or are motivated by political expediency. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM