The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has revealed that his predecessor, the late Nelson Mandela, deeply regretted his country’s failure to provide more support to Rwanda during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
Speaking to reporters after attending the 30th anniversary commemoration of the Rwandan genocide dubbed Kwibuka30, Ramaphosa said Mandela had previously expressed remorse over South Africa’s lack of intervention when the Rwandan people needed global assistance the most.
“We came to Rwanda following the invitation that rwanda extended to us to be part of this commemoration and we felt it important to join in the commemoration of the genocide that happened 30 years ago here,” he said.
And the fact that President Paul kagame and the government of Rwanda felt that they should invite us is born out of their position that South Africa has always taken vis-a-vis Rwanda. we’ve always had good relations with Rwanda over a number of years.
“In fact when the genocide happened 30 years ago it was President mandela who regretted that we did not really fully give a helping hand to the Rwandees..”
Ramaphosa’s remarks echo the sentiments Mandela had shared in the aftermath of the genocide, which claimed over 800,000 lives.
The current South African President praised the leadership of Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the remarkable progress the country has made in recovering from the tragedy and promoting reconciliation.
Notably, Ramaphosa also emphasized the significance of the Rwandan government’s invitation for South Africa to participate in the genocide commemorations. He said this gesture underscored the growing cooperation and mutual respect between the two nations.
As part of the commemoration events, the South African delegation laid wreaths and met with genocide survivors, further underscoring the personal and emotional nature of their participation.
