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Anti-apartheid activist John Minto is adamant he was in line to be offered a prestigious award by the South African Government, despite the office of President Thabo Mbeki denying Mr Minto was ever nominated for such an order.
On Monday Mr Minto published an open letter to President
Mbeki, in which he said he understood he had been nominated for a Companion of Oliver Tambo award.
The honour, named after a prominent anti-apartheid campaigner, comes in three classes and is awarded to foreign nationals for services towards and friendship to South Africa. New Zealander Trevor Richards is a past recipient of the award.
Mr Minto said he was proud of the campaigns the Halt All Racist Tours organisation he was part of staged against apartheid, but said no real progress had been made in the past 14 years to improve the lot of ordinary South Africans.
"None of us expected things to change overnight, but we did expect the hope for change to always burn brightly as people looked ahead for their children and grandchildren. This is now a pale gleam, dimmed by the destructive power of free-market economics," Mr Minto said.
In response, President Mbeki put out a statement which said Mr Minto had not been nominated for any of South Africa's national orders.
He said nominations were made by the public and then considered by an advisory council, which recommended candidates to the President.
"Only after the President has accepted the advisory council's recommendation does the Presidency make contact with the nominee to ascertain whether they accept the award," the statement said. "The South African Government, as indeed many within our society who know and appreciate the role Mr Minto and his colleagues played in the struggle against apartheid, holds him in high esteem.
"Government remains open to engaging with Mr Minto and the New Zealand Anti-Apartheid Movement especially as regards its honest and sustained efforts at delivering a better life for all South Africans under extremely challenging conditions."
Mr Minto yesterday said he had been nominated for the award by South African Sports Minister, Makhenkesi Stofile.
Mr Stofile discussed the award offer with him on the phone, and in person over dinner last year while in New Zealand for the World Netball Championships, Mr Minto said.
"Rev Stofile said he had put forward a nomination for me to receive the award on behalf of all the New Zealanders who have been active in the struggle against apartheid," Mr Minto said.
"He said it had gone to a committee of three ministers (he mentioned their names) who would make the final decision."
Mr Minto disputed the statement from the South African President's office and suggested his open letter may have led the award offer to be scrapped.
"The statement from their office seems to be an attempt to fudge the issue and is at best misleading," Mr Minto said.
Kitch Cuthbert, who attended the Auckland dinner with Mr Minto and Mr Stofile, said her recollection of that night was that the award offer had been a "done and dusted scenario".
"My understanding was that an award of some substance was being offered, and Minty said that he would have concerns and issues about accepting such an award," Ms Cuthbert said.
"I didn't hear the preamble to it, but I thought the offer had been made and Minty had basically said thanks but no thanks."
