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Dr Alex Boraine and I met Mr F W de Klerk, leader of the National Party, for just over an hour at the offices of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Cape Town today.

Mr de Klerk asked me for the meeting after controversy over the Steyn Report, and I insisted that Dr Boraine should be present. Mr de Klerk raised the issue of the Steyn Report only briefly before moving onto other issues, and I made clear to him that there is no difference in attitude between Dr Boraine and myself on the key issues facing the Commission.

The meeting was dominated by issues raised by Mr de Klerk, including:
- What he described as the perception that the Commission is not even-handed;
- His concern that we are not placing enough emphasis on reconciliation; and
- His conviction that only a handful of members of the Security forces during the apartheid era was guilty of gross violations of human rights (he said in the same way, this was probably true also for the liberation movements).

Dr Boraine and I reassured Mr de Klerk that the Commission was totally committed to even-handedness and gave him a range of examples demonstrating this. We also sought to reassure him that reconciliation was our ultimate goal, although the Commission could play only a small part in the long-term task of bringing it about.

Mr de Klerk also dealt with the logistics of his party's reply to the extensive list of questions which he was sent after he made an initial presentation to the Commission last August. He said he expected to deliver the reply in two weeks' time, after which a date for a public hearing would be arranged between us.

Inquiries: John Allen, 82- 452-7859

Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission

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