JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA JANUARY 31: Former National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) advocate Gerrie Nel and AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel during a media briefing to announce Nels resignation from the NPA on January 31, 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA JANUARY 31: Former National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) advocate Gerrie Nel and AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel during a media briefing to announce Nels resignation from the NPA on January 31, 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
If you’ve got this far, it means you haven’t cringed yourself to death reading the headline. AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel has made the extraordinary claim that apartheid was not a crime against humanity, as “there were no mass killings” during its reign.
As reported by News24, Kriel made the astonishing claim shortly after appearing on Eusebius McKaiser’s Radio 702 show on Monday morning. The host tweeted his consternation with the claim and echoed the thoughts of many other
South Africans: “WTF?”
Kallie Kriel tells me “I don’t think Apartheid was a crime against humanity.”
— Eusebius McKaiser (@Eusebius) May 14, 2018
What did Kallie Kriel say about apartheid?
At this point, it’s fair to say that Kriel at least deserves a right of reply. A chance to explain McKaiser’s comments and present his own views in a more coherent manner. The AfriForum chief went ahead and did it, only to make things even worse.
Kriel contacted News24 himself to clarify his position. That, he certainly did. The publication quotes him as saying the following:
“What I said to Eusebius is that a crime against humanity is the gassing of six million Jews in gas chambers. In my view, you cannot equate that to the 700 people that were killed by the security police during apartheid.”
“It was wrong to infringe on the rights of the people. It cannot be equated to (Adolf) Hitler or communism. That equation cannot be made. You cannot equate crimes against humanity with apartheid. There was not a mass killing of people.”
It would certainly be interesting for Kriel to explain what he thought events like the Sharpeville Massacre and Soweto Uprising were, then.
South Africa reacts to Kallie Kriel’s apartheid views
Kriel’s logic is certainly a flawed one. Just because one crime against humanity apparently affected more people, it doesn’t invalidate the other one. Needless to say, social media users were left unimpressed by the claims:
“Apartheid not a crime against humanity” says Afriforum’s Kallie Kriel. Wow.. pic.twitter.com/Xr6lOk1Bqp
— ???????? Pablito (@Vuyo_Nova) May 14, 2018
Arrogance of @kalliekriel & @afriforum are shocking. SA was a pariah state bcz the UN declared a crime against humanity. He will sing a different tune if subjected to apartheid.
— A Daniels (@ADaniel26099125) May 14, 2018
For goodness’ sake @kalliekriel, stop shooting yourself in the ruddy foot. Regardless of who died where and when APARTHEID WAS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY.
You guys really need to get with the program if you’re ever going to influence events. Start by saying sorry
— Bill Chédieu (@Bamburi) May 14, 2018
