South African president hails Jimmy Carter's stance against apartheid

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa praised former US President Jimmy Carter on Monday for his strong stance against apartheid and his support for Palestine, Anadolu has reported. Carter died on Sunday at the age of 100.

Describing Carter as an outstanding, compassionate leader and champion of human rights and global peace, Ramaphosa said that he was deeply saddened by his death.

“Jimmy Carter was an outspoken critic of the apartheid state [in South Africa] at a time when the regime was trying to ingratiate itself with influential economies around the world and justify its inhumane policies,” Ramaphosa said on social media.

He noted that Carter holds a “special place” in South Africa’s history as a founding member of The Elders, a group of global leaders established on President Nelson Mandela’s 89th birthday in 2007 to serve as independent moral voices advocating for peace and leadership.

Ramaphosa highlighted Carter’s record of involvement in various peace negotiations and his clear recognition that the denial of fundamental human rights and statehood for the Palestinian people is a form of apartheid. Carter’s 2006 book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid saw him criticised bitterly by the Israeli government and its supporters. Major human rights groups have since declared that Israel is an apartheid state, including B’Tselem, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for “his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development,” Ramaphosa added, noting South Africa’s celebration of Carter’s enduring legacy and ideas.

Carter was the longest-lived US president in history. He served from January 1977 to January 1981. Survived by four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died in 2023.

A state funeral for the former president will be held in Washington, DC, according to President Joe Biden, who said that the US and the world have lost an “extraordinary” leader, statesman and humanitarian. “With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us,” said Biden. “He saved, lifted and changed the lives of people all across the globe.”

US President-elect Donald Trump also paid tribute to Carter, acknowledging the challenges he faced during a pivotal time for the US and noting that he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.

“For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude,” said Trump on his Truth Social platform. “Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”

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