4
O
viedo
| C
ampoamor
T
heatre
| 31
st
O
ctober
1992
Since its beginnings, the history of South Africa has been characterized by a search on the part
of the different peoples living in this southernmost part of Africa for a just and lasting solution
to the problem of peaceful coexistence. For that reason, periods of intense warring conflicts have
been interspersed with others in which different political formulas were adopted with the hope of
bringing peace and lasting prosperity to this troubled country. Nevertheless, neither unification,
colonialism nor the other solutions employed were successful, mainly because all of them suffered
from an essential defect: none managed to establish a democracy for all South Africans. That is
the failure which the South African Government has been trying to remedy since 1990. The road
to success is hard, as has been clearly demonstrated over the last three years. However, President
de Klerk is absolutely determined to continue on the path of reform and aspires to succeed in this
respect, as he and other leaders count on the support of the majority of the people of his country
in this endeavour.
Frederich G. Conradie, on
behalf of Frederick W. de
Klerk
—
Prince of Asturias
Award for International
Cooperation
1992
Frederick W. de Klerk was President
of the South African Republic from
1989 to 1994.
—
Excerpt from the speech given on
the occasion of receiving the Prince
of Asturias Award for International
Cooperation on 31/10/1992.
