Barry Streek speaks to former (and future?)politician Van Zyl Slabbert, whose new book is just out
Van Zyl Slabbert, whose book Afrikaner Afrikaan (Tafelberg) was released in Cape Town this week, says he is not involved politically today and that he is not involved in any discussions with President Thabo Mbeki, whom he openly respects.
“I am not involved politically but I am involved in business and in funding projects through the Open Society Initiative. And I have no desire to get involved politically. It is totally predictable and boring,” Slabbert told the Mail &Guardian.
But, enigmatic as ever, he does disclose in the book that he told Democratic Party leader Tony Leon that he would possibly consider nomination as premier in the Western Cape if the DP were successful in June’s elections in becoming the majority party in the province and it formed an alliance with the African National Congress.
He also reveals that he suggested to the New National Party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk that he form an coalition government in the Western Cape with the ANC – and that Van Schalkwyk phoned him back a few days later to check whether he was being serious.
“I voted for the ANC but I am not a member of the ANC,” says Slabbert. “I definitely did not vote for the DP although I am associated with the DP.”
His new book, surprisingly the first he has written in Afrikaans, does deal with “contemporary problems” and political issues, but bringing himself back in politics? “Not at all,” he emphasises.
Yet, the book does give him a profile, essentially a political profile, again. And what an interesting profile that is.
It is, of course, possible that Slabbert, who served as an MP between 1974 and 1986, when he suddenly resigned along with Alex Boraine, will be content with his position as chair of Caxton/CTP, the substantial listed publishing house, which among other things publishes the soon-to-be-revamped Citizen, and his other business interests, and with the Open Society Initiative.
But, given his history, such plain sailing seems unlikely. In the book, he puts it this way: “I am according to all objective criteria a failed academic, a failed politician, a learner-businessman and an extraordinarily privileged person.”
He explains that his children have jobs and are happy. “Jane from Swaziland is my comrade, wife, partner and confidant. My head still works well and I can keep myself fully occupied with my own thoughts. So far I am not so bored that I no longer care, and I know, as with my life so far, a new thing will again surprise me.”
Indeed. But when I mention to him that his name has been floated in University of Cape Town circles as a possible successor to Dr Mamphele Ramphele as vice-chancellor, he either puts on his best poker face and feigns surprise or is genuinely surprised (one can never really tell with Slabbert), and says they must be mad.
The book, he says, is a sequel to his The Last White Parliament, which was published in 1985. In reality there is much overlap, but with juicier anecdotes of his time in Parliament in the new book. He was, after all, leader of the Progressive Federal Party at the time of The Last White Parliament, and that had its restraints.
The reality is that Afrikaner Afrikaan is addressed to South Africans, particularly to Afrikaners of all races, who are staying in the country and who are playing some role in promoting transformation. It is written in Afrikaans, partly because “I would like to make some contribution to keeping the language alive” and partly because he has a clear message, which is summed up in the last few sentences of the book.
Despite some stinging criticism and an analysis of developments in South Africa, he writes in those last sentences that he does not know what is going to surprise him in the future but “all I know is that this country and this continent still have so much to discover and experience that I don’t have the desire to walk away and begin again elsewhere from the beginning”.
Slabbert says that Afrikaner Afrikaan is “a discussion book, a chat with friends”, containing anecdotes and his analysis of some contemporary issues. The analytical sections of the book are thought-provoking and stimulating. Slabbert’s ability to assess issues is as good as ever. His head is, indeed, still working.
But, for me, the highlights of the book are his anecdotes. He discloses, for instance, that he was involved in discussions with Anglo American about the possible purchase of Argus Newspapers by Caxton even though the Anglo group was then heavily involved with negotiations with Tony O’Reilly’s Independent Newspapers. “I and [Terry] Moolman were convinced that our Afrikaans identity was too difficult to be absorbed by Anglo’s top men.”
He discloses that he discussed this year’s election results with General Constand Viljoen, who asked him why his people had not supported the Freedom Front. Slabbert suggested that it was because Leon was tougher than he was with the ANC. “Viljoen replied: ‘You are right. One of them said to me directly: “That Jew fights harder against the kaffirs than you.” ‘ ”
The book is full of interesting anecdotes of this sort, and they make fascinating reading.
Slabbert was cautious when I asked him if the book was to be published in English, although he did say his daughter was translating it. Later, at the launch, both the publishers and he spoke as if an English version would definitely be published. One certainly hopes so. This book deserves wider readership than only those who can read Afrikaans. And an English version would not do that profile any harm.