Allister Sparks: ‘I’m sorry’

ALLISTER Sparks is sorry for mentioning Hendrik Verwoerd during his tribute to Helen Zille at the DA congress last weekend.

He is also sorry for not naming any black people when he listed some of the “smart” politicians he had met in his life.

In his speech at the DA national congress on Saturday, the veteran journalist listed the “architect of apartheid” as one of the smartest politicians he’d met.

Sparks said: “I’ve been working as a journalist in this country for 64 years… from the era of DF Malan to that of Jacob Zuma.

“In the course of (this), I’ve encountered some really smart politicians – Harry Lawrence, Margaret Ballinger, Helen Suzman, Zach de Beer, Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, Marais Steyn, Japie Basson, and yes… Hendrik Verwoerd.”

Sparks’s comment immediately caused outrage on social media.

But on Monday, in a column on the News24 website, Sparks said: “Unfortunately those words have given offence to some people, who saw them as indicating a degree of moral approval of the man and his policies. For that I apologise unreservedly to those people.

“In truth, Verwoerd and his policies appalled me.”

Sparks said while taking Verwoerd to task over his policies, he recognised him as a formidable figure and clever, “which is what I meant when I called him ‘smart’ – but I guess that wasn’t the smartest choice of word, because some felt it carried a connotation of praise.”

He also apologised for only listing white people’s names and for leaving out Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.

MY EARLIEST political memories are of death. First was John F Kennedy. His death, which occurred when I was mid-way between 3 and 4 years old, has a dream-like quality.

But I was 6 when H F Verwoerd was killed and I remember it well.

There was no sorrow in our household when he died, only a sense that he had it coming and the hope that the vile government of the day might learn something from the lesson. It didn’t, but then governments never do.

So that is my abiding memory of Verwoerd. A case of good riddance. A reminder that political assassination is seldom worth the price.

I admire Allister Sparks and try to read everything he writes, so it was with some surprise that I read that he thought Verwoerd was a skilful politician.

My sense was, so what? Vorster was an efficient manager, Hitler was a skilful demagogue. You could even argue that the political skills of Ian Smith are not that different to President Jacob Zuma’s. But where do those comparisons get you? Precisely nowhere.

Or so I thought until I read Eusebius McKaiser’s column. He said: “You don’t tell Jewish people Hitler was efficient. And you don’t tell black South Africans Verwoerd was smart.” And he is absolutely right.

Sparks is no fascist and to compare what he said to the remarks of the hapless Mcebo Dlamini is disingenuous, but his remarks do, nonetheless, demonstrate the gulf South Africans must be bridged if we are to be a nation where diverse people unite. I thank McKaiser for the reminder that a united South Africa is still a work in progress.

IAN COX Durban