South Africa was lucky in having the right leaders at the right time in handling the transfer of power from an apartheid regime to a democratic system, the former leader of the Progressive Party said in Dublin last night.
Dr Frederik van Zyl Slabbert was speaking at a lecture organised by the Institute of Irish Studies in Dublin Castle.
Both Mr F.W. de Klerk and Mr Nelson Mandela managed to maintain the unity of their organisations and "compromise them into the process of negotiations". Personal relations between them were difficult but they recognised there was no alternative solution.
The lecture is the first in a series on the theme "Openings for Peace". The next, on November 18th, will be "Israel and the Palestinians: the Oslo Process", and the speaker will be Dr Jan Egeland. Future speakers will include the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan.