5 September 2006. Orania, Northern Cape, South Africa. A statue of former South African Prime Minister, HF Verwoerd, in the “Afrikaanertuiste” town of Orania, along with a portrait of the former South African leader. – Photo: Gallo Images
Apartheid: ‘Apartheid’s carpet’ only removed in 2004
According to archive reports, ‘apartheid’s carpet’ was only removed from the House of Assembly in the year 2004.
5 September 2006. Orania, Northern Cape, South Africa. A statue of former South African Prime Minister, HF Verwoerd, in the “Afrikaanertuiste” town of Orania, along with a portrait of the former South African leader. – Photo: Gallo Images
According to archive reports, ‘apartheid’s carpet’ was only removed from the House of Assembly in the year 2004.
The bloodstained carpet on which the old National Party politician was stabbed in 1966, reportedly stayed in the governmental building for 38 years.
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The gruesome reminder of South Africa’s past served as a reminder of things past until it was finally removed and replaced.
‘Apartheid’s carpet’ only removed in 2004
Member of the National Party and the man who is credited for ‘inventing’ the concept of racial separativeness in Southern Africa, HF Verwoerd, was famously stabbed in parliament during 1966.
Unfortunately, the bloody carpet stayed in the same place for several decades.
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The Mail & Guardian reports that the bloodstained carpet was only removed and replaced with a fresh one in the year 2004. That’s about 38 years after the ‘architect of apartheid’s’ life came to an abrupt end.
After previous unsuccessful attempts on his life, state employee Dimitrios Tsafendas simply walked up to Verwoerd and stabbed him several times in the torso and neck.
Verwoerd and apartheid
Hendrik Verwoerd was born in September, 1901 in the Netherlands.
His family would later relocate to South Africa, where he became interested in politics, and studied psychology. In the 1940s, he was formally appointed to the National Party.
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Verwoerd would personally implement many of the policies that changed South Africa for the worst, including policies on who South Africans could speak to or marry.
His death partially brought about the winds of change for a free country.
The famous death of HF Verwoerd
The death of Hendrink Verwoerd took place in parliament, on 6 September, 1966.
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He was stabbed several times by Dimitrios Tsafendas, who had originally intended to use a gun in the attempt but had been unable to find one. Tsafendas was reportedly trained in explosive making, too, and could apparently speak as much as eight languages.
Tsafendas himself died in prison in 1999, aged 81 years old.
