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| Apartheid 'not root of SA riots' | Apartheid 'not root of SA riots' |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| South Africa's former President FW De Klerk has told the BBC that the heritage of apartheid cannot be blamed for this month's xenophobic attacks. | South Africa's former President FW De Klerk has told the BBC that the heritage of apartheid cannot be blamed for this month's xenophobic attacks. |
| "It would be a great over simplification to blame everything which is wrong... on the heritage of the past," he said. | "It would be a great over simplification to blame everything which is wrong... on the heritage of the past," he said. |
| The last apartheid-era leader said unemployment and the high crime rate were the main reasons for the violence. | The last apartheid-era leader said unemployment and the high crime rate were the main reasons for the violence. |
| More than 70,000 people have fled the attacks and more than 50 died. | More than 70,000 people have fled the attacks and more than 50 died. |
| Mr De Klerk became president in 1989 and started to dismantle the apartheid regime, which ended five years later. | Mr De Klerk became president in 1989 and started to dismantle the apartheid regime, which ended five years later. |
| Aid workers in South Africa have been pushing for disaster zones to be declared in the areas worst hit by recent xenophobic attacks. | Aid workers in South Africa have been pushing for disaster zones to be declared in the areas worst hit by recent xenophobic attacks. |
| Correspondents say there is growing concern about the conditions in which tens of thousands of displaced people are living. | Correspondents say there is growing concern about the conditions in which tens of thousands of displaced people are living. |
| Most are still sheltering in community halls, churches and police stations and some are sleeping out in the open. | Most are still sheltering in community halls, churches and police stations and some are sleeping out in the open. |
| The government says it is working urgently to provide more suitable accommodation for them. | The government says it is working urgently to provide more suitable accommodation for them. |
| 'Loses credibility' | 'Loses credibility' |
| In an interview on the BBC's Today programme, Mr De Klerk said that the attacks against foreigners were "unacceptable" and high unemployment amongst black South Africans and crime were to blame. | In an interview on the BBC's Today programme, Mr De Klerk said that the attacks against foreigners were "unacceptable" and high unemployment amongst black South Africans and crime were to blame. |
| DISPLACED FIGURES South Africa: about 38,000 Gauteng: 17,548 Western Cape: 19,654 KwaZulu Natal: 1,650-1,750Figures from Ocha Mozambique: 32,082 Malawi: 500 Zimbabwe: 123Figures from the Red Cross In pictures: Displaced life in SA | DISPLACED FIGURES South Africa: about 38,000 Gauteng: 17,548 Western Cape: 19,654 KwaZulu Natal: 1,650-1,750Figures from Ocha Mozambique: 32,082 Malawi: 500 Zimbabwe: 123Figures from the Red Cross In pictures: Displaced life in SA |
| He said that immigrants were "prepared to work at lower wages". | He said that immigrants were "prepared to work at lower wages". |
| "Therefore many black South Africans feel that these people are robbing them of their jobs and of their food and of their livelihoods so I think that's the main root cause," he said. | "Therefore many black South Africans feel that these people are robbing them of their jobs and of their food and of their livelihoods so I think that's the main root cause," he said. |
| He said that crime could not be solely blamed on foreigners. | He said that crime could not be solely blamed on foreigners. |
| "But there's no doubt that a substantial percentage of the illegal immigrants are involved in the high crime rates which we have." | "But there's no doubt that a substantial percentage of the illegal immigrants are involved in the high crime rates which we have." |
| He rejected that claim that the legacy of apartheid was to blame for many of the country's current social problems. | |
| Under apartheid, people were deprived of their full political rights, but not on a "socio-economic basis", he said. | Under apartheid, people were deprived of their full political rights, but not on a "socio-economic basis", he said. |
| "It was quite developmental if you look at what has happened in the educational field, in the field of housing - I'm now talking from the 1960s to the 1990s, the establishment of new universities, the creation of opportunities, small business development," he said. | "It was quite developmental if you look at what has happened in the educational field, in the field of housing - I'm now talking from the 1960s to the 1990s, the establishment of new universities, the creation of opportunities, small business development," he said. |
| Critics of apartheid have argued that black South Africans at the time received an inferior education - many young people boycotted school to fight apartheid - and black ownership of commercial business was prohibited or highly regulated. | |
| Apartheid is often blamed as a means of "political expediency", Mr De Klerk said. | |
| I think Zimbabwe's lot is now in the hand of Zimbabweans FW De Klerk | |
| "But there's no doubt that we've now had a new full open democracy since 1994 - it's almost 15 years - and month by month the claim that everything which is wrong is to be blamed on the past loses its appeal and its credibility." | "But there's no doubt that we've now had a new full open democracy since 1994 - it's almost 15 years - and month by month the claim that everything which is wrong is to be blamed on the past loses its appeal and its credibility." |
| In a statement on Thursday, the government acknowledged "the urgent need to accelerate its programmes for alleviating poverty, unemployment and other forms of socio-economic deprivation". | In a statement on Thursday, the government acknowledged "the urgent need to accelerate its programmes for alleviating poverty, unemployment and other forms of socio-economic deprivation". |
| It also appealed to communities "to reject any agitation from those who wish to reduce this country into a lawless country". | It also appealed to communities "to reject any agitation from those who wish to reduce this country into a lawless country". |
| 'Up the garden path' | |
| With regard to the political crisis in Zimbabwe, Mr De Klerk said that South Africa's reputation had been "damaged". | |
| Efforts by Thabo Mbeki, South Africa's current leader, to get a unity government between President Robert Mugabe's party and that of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai were "outdated", he said. | |
| "At certain stages President Mugabe made promises to President Mbeki which he didn't keep - and in that sense I'm a bit sorry for President Mbeki because I think at times Mugabe led him up the garden path." | |
| He also had praise for Mr Tsvangirai and his "statesmanlike qualities" in agreeing to an election re-run. | |
| "I think Zimbabwe's lot is now in the hand of Zimbabweans," he said. |