Sequel to Long Walk to Freedom - Revision 1 - Chapter 2 Page 5

A dark cloud was hanging over South Africa, which threatened to block and even reverse all the gains South Africans had made in regard to the country's peaceful transformation. Soon after General Constand Viljoen resigned as leader of the Freedom Front, I invited him and his wife, Riki, to my house for lunch. Pure generosity was by no means the reason for the invitation. It was an acknowledgement on my part of the crucial role the General had played in the peaceful transformation of our country. The General is no politician, but his integrity and geniality elevated him to one of the architects of the new South Africa. He changed direction when he was on the verge of plunging the country into a disastrous bloodbath which would have resulted in the deaths of countless civilians. He had mobilised between fifty and sixty thousand soldiers and about fifteen thousand white farmers to fight the ANC. A meeting facilitated by the General's twin brother, Braam and stockbroker Jurgen Kogl, took place between the General and his colleagues on the one hand, and with Joe Nhlanhla, Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki for the ANC, on the other. 18