Apartheid reparations campaign slams De Klerk

An apartheid debt and reparations campaign has hit out at former South African president FW de Klerk over his comments that Swiss banks should fight civil action taken against them for their support of the apartheid economy.

In a statement released on Thursday Jubilee South Africa, the NGO which organised the reparations campaign, said: "Mr de Klerk's acknowledgement that Swiss banks actively contributed to the growth of the apartheid economy reinforces our claim against the banks to repair the social damage they made possible."

"It is unfortunate, but comes as no surprise, that Mr de Klerk actively supports the banks that provided a lifeline to the apartheid regime, but does not seem to have much concern for healing the victims of apartheid."

Jubilee SA called on De Klerk to back up his comments by supporting the call for the banks archives to be open "so that the truth can be known."

A lawsuit was filed in New York this week against 20 companies, among them Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse Group, accusing them of breaking a United Nations embargo on dealing with the apartheid regime.

In an interview with a Swiss newspaper published on Thursday, De Klerk said the lawsuit was unjustified and dismissed the claim that investments from Swiss banks helped to prolong apartheid, the South African Press Association reported.

"It wasn't sanctions or the withdrawal of international companies that ended apartheid but rather the economic growth of the 1960s and 70s," he said.

De Klerk said foreign investors had contributed to the demise of apartheid by encouraging the country's growth.