Johannesburg (Fides Service)-“The overall result is positive but there are scars which still need healing” Scalabrini missionary Father Mario of the Scalabrini Development Agency in Cape Town told Fides commenting the 10 anniversary of democracy in South Africa. “The fact that the country broke free of the brutal and violent regime of apartheid without bloodshed is a tribute to Nelson Mandela” Father Mario told Fides. “Non violence was the right path and today South Africa is a beacon, indeed the only beacon, for the whole of Africa ”.
“I would recall former President De Kerk, a man who came from the Boer racist apparatus, who was able, at serious personal risk (he escaped several assassination attempts) to put an end to the segregationist regime and allow the birth of a new democratic South Africa”.
“However ten years are not long enough to heal the scars of decades of apartheid. To put behind it a past of violence South Africa took an original path forming a Justice and Truth Commission,» Father Mario said. The Commission examined each case of individual accused of crimes that agreed to stand before the Commission and help uncover the truth of the last few decades of South Africa’s history. “It is important to uncover the truth of the past but it does not help to heal change wounded hearts. However South Africa is now determined to look to the future” Father Mario told Fides. “But South Africans need Europe’s help to consolidate democracy and promote development. There are still too many social ills which must be cured”.
“Helping South Africa means helping all Africa. This country is a point of reference for all Africans. The west cannot abandon South Africa because this would mean abandoning the whole of Africa”.
On 27 April 1994, South Africans of all races voted together for the first time putting an end to Apartheid. Nelson Mandela, leader of the African National Congress (ANC) released after 27 years in prison, was elected the first black President. His successor, Thabo Mbeki, led the ANC to a record win in elections on 14 April this year (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 27/4/2004, righe 32 parole 390)