#HistoryKeThread: Two years into his presidency, in June of 1991, apartheid South Africa’s President Frederik de Klerk visited Kenya. The visit was part of a charm offensive tour to a number of African countries.

Kenya was the 10th African country de Klerk visited as President.

De Klerk’s visit was taking place against the backdrop of a number of events:

Firstly, Nelson Mandela was a free man, having been released in February of 1990. Indeed, a few months later, in July, Mandela accompanied by his wife Winnie Mandela, toured Kenya as part of a continent-wide “thank you” tour.

Secondly, on 21st March 1990, the de Klerk administration granted independence to Namibia, a country that was under Pretoria rule for 75 years.

Thirdly, South Africa had also disengaged from supporting rebels against the government of Angola.

Fourthly, the governments of South Africa and Kenya had reached an agreement to allow their countries’ national airlines to land in the other country.

It was clear that President de Klerk’s administration wanted to show the world, and Africa no less, that it was taking earnest steps to dismantle its apartheid past.

Flanked by his Foreign Affairs minister, Pik Botha, President de Klerk addressed a press conference in Nairobi on the last day of his visit.

He disclosed that Moi had privately supported his vision of a “new South Africa with civil liberties for all”.

Some observers were quick to note the irony, given that Moi was seen as one of Africa’s authoritarian, single-party rulers.

De Klerk also expressed hope that South Africa would be admitted to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), as the African Union (AU) was then known.

Well, it wasn’t until June 1994 that South Africa, under Nelson Mandela, the country’s first black President, was admitted into the A.U.

In concluding, let me share something interesting from Kenya’s aviation history.

When state officials and Kenya Airways senior executives visited South Africa for talks to open up the two countries’ skies to the other’s airline, they had to first fly to Botswana to have their passports stamped.

Why? Because until sometime in the early 1990s, it was illegal under Kenya law for anyone to fly directly from South Africa to Kenya.

Have a safe, Covid19-segregated day, everyone.