The book by Harris Dousemetzis, ‘The man who killed apartheid’, which appeared recently, is, according to many news reports, “committed to truth”.
However, this so called ‘revelation’ is anything but the truth. From the first moment after the murder of Dr HF Verwoerd on 6 September 1966 in the House of Assembly in Cape Town, various media statements, writings, newspaper reports and books revealed that Tsafendas was a communist who had been commanded to kill Dr Verwoerd.
It has often been said, especially by leaders and other public speakers of the HNP, that Dr Verwoerd had to be killed so that his successful policy (successful for all the people of South Africa) could be annihilated. Dousemetzis’s book however is just another attempt to place apartheid in the ‘dock’ and promote the lie that Tsafendas killed him because Dr Verwoerd was the creator of apartheid and that he founded apartheid.
The way in which Tsafendas murder of Dr Verwoerd is reported in the book (according to the reports) makes Tsafendas the hero and Dr. Verwoerd the villain.
It is not news (and now the so called truth) that Tsafendas was a communist and not insane.
We must remember that the murder took place shortly after Dr Verwoerd’s success in the International Court regarding South West Africa. That verdict in favor of South Africa put Verwoerd in an favourable position internationally. Then the attacks against Verwoerd started in the liberal circles and by the Cape Liberal Nats then led by Piet Cillié.
It should also be remembered that the first attack on Dr Verwoerd’s life was made by David Pratt on April 9, 1960. Verwoerd amazingly survived this. With the murder of 6 September 1966, many questions were asked as to who was behind this murder.
Three days before the murder, Dr Verwoerd’s death was discussed aboard a Greek ship, the ‘Eleni’ that had been in the Cape Harbor. The ship has been in port for more than 40 days. Tsafendas has often visited there.
Nicholas Mavros, one of the crew members, made a statement in Venice on 12 October 1966 stating that Tsafendas had enquired to buy a gun or knife whilst aboard the ship. The judge investigating the murder said “the probability is that discussions regarding Dr Verwoerd’s death did not happen by chance on that ship.”
Tsafendas came to SA for the first time in 1937. There was already evidence in his file that he was engaged in communist activities. Shortly after 1959, his name was placed on the blacklist of the Department of Home Affairs.
It was no coincidence that the American magazine ‘Time’ attacked South Africa’s policy in the most profane terms 11 days before the murder (on 26 August 1966) in a full six pages with a picture of Dr Verwoerd on the cover page. One of the outrageous headings were “Murder in the Heart”.
With all these and many other facts already known, Dousemetzis’s book is now suddenly a “revelation” that the attack was against South Africa’s successful policy of separate development. To succeed in their goal, South Africa’s enemies had to kill Dr Verwoerd.
What is important is that reputable ANC figures like adv George Bizos now openly identify themselves with Tsafendas, the killer and his violence. It was a cowardly and horrendous act against a respected citizen. It is now suggested that the murderer had nothing wrong with him, that he was even of good character and was a hero against apartheid.
Consequently, it can now be assumed that the murder was pre planned and carried out to destroy Dr Verwoerd’s successful policy.
So the question remains: If the murder was not the act of a disturbed individual, who was behind the planning of the murder and with whose help was the assassination carried out? The Afrikaners of South Africa demand an answer to that key question.
LJ van der Schyff, Secretary,
Herstigte Nasionale Party
Media Statement Herstigte Nasionale Party
South Africa Today – South Africa News
