‘Secrecy persists post-94’
Paranoia still rules says Kasrils
Former minister and Struggle stalwart Ronnie Kasrils said he was disappointed when the names of apartheid government informers were not disclosed.
“We had spent our whole lives trying to figure out who was leaking information‚ who was involved with the enemy‚ etc‚” Kasrils said.
According to Kasrils‚ former president Nelson Mandela did not want to disclose the names of ANC members who were apartheid government informers.
“I’m sure when Madiba saw these names‚ he didn’t want this revealed because I’m sure in his mind he would have thought that I would have created havoc within the ANC‚” said Kasrils.
He was speaking yesterday at a symposium on the secrecy and possible declassification of the apartheid government’s records at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
Kasrils said the apartheid government was let off the hook. “The nature of the transition compromises meant that we gave away a huge amount to the other side‚” he said.
Kasrils and the director of the Foundation for Human Rights‚ Yasmin Sooka‚ agreed that there needed to be a process before opening the “Pandora’s box” of apartheid of government informers.
She said it was also a struggle to get access to the post1994 government records.
“I think it is an intelligence mindset that was there in the former government and, of course‚ I think it is because of the kind of paranoia that existed in being infiltrated. It has almost persisted in the way government sees these issues even under democratic South Africa‚” said Sooka.
Sooka believes torture continues because South Africa “never dismantled the machinery”.
Kasrils said that citizens should strengthen civil society to watch the government.
“When you’re in government‚ no matter that you’ve got singing presidents and acolytes putting on brave faces and pretending that they couldn’t care a tinker’s cuss‚ they shiver and shake‚” he said. –