ANC and SF
long cooperation against the violent apartheid regimes in South Africa and the North of Ireland /
cooperation in the search for conflict resolution
A deeply rooted friendship of the South African ANC and the Irish Republican Sinn Fein
was visible during the 4-day long visit of Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams to South Africa
from 18.-21. October 2005.
It wasn't the first visit of Gerry Adams to South Africa. In 2001 together with Nelson Mandela he unveiled a
memorial on Robben Island for the 10 Irish men who died in the hungerstrike of 1981. Bobby Sands and nine
more Irish Republicans died in the hungerstrike of 1981 against the treatment of Irish Republican political prisoners
as ordinary criminals by Margaret Thatcher's government. For many ANC prisoners in the jails of the apartheid regime
they were inspiration for their prison struggle.
But this visit was certainly a political very intensive journey to the friends in post-apartheid South Africa.
Gerry Adams was invited by the foreign affairs ministry, which published on its' website the full scale of the program
(Foreign Affairs) Minister Dlamini Zuma to host Sinn Fein Leader, Gerry Adams,
Tshwane, South Africa
a speech of Gerry Adams in front of the specially convened South African Parlament, a meeting with President
Thabo Mbeki, meetings with the foreign affair minister and further ministers,
laying a wreath and lighting some grass and incense in Freedome Park to honor the fallen heros of South Africa and
Ireland.
We publish some of the speeches and reports about the visit which give a good insight into the strength the
conflict resolution processes of both countries gained by the long standing cooperation of ANC and SF.
We also publish an interview with the South African secret services minister Ronnie Kasrils,
who visited Ireland to participate in the 100. birthday celebrations of Sinn Fein.
Gerry Adams visits South Africa:
>>>> 28.10.2005 Richard McAuley: "Solidarity and support - Gerry Adams in South Africa "
>>>> 21.10.2005 Gerry Adams addresses the South African Parliament: "Working with Unionists"
>>>> 20.10.2005 Gerry Adams to the ANC: "What we want in Ireland is what you have achieved in South Africa."
South African secret services minister Ronnie Kasrils visits Ireland to participate in the
100. birthday celebrations of Sinn Fein:
>>>> 25.10.2005 Jarlath Kearney interviews Ronnie Kasrils: "One’s got to create here a new state apparatus"
