The wings of a prayer for Eugene de Kock

Eugene de Kock

Three nights and three days to go until the final decision regarding Eugene's parole!

It has been a long struggle, with excitement interspersed with great disappointment, with emotions raging within our souls from anger to compassion, from impatience to feelings of hopelessness, but always we have stood up one more time than we fell down.

This has been the longest and most emotionally challenging cause I have taken on in my life. I started out on this journey alone, because I could not find a single person who would run with such an unpopular subject.

I now find myself amongst the most compassionate group of people on earth. I find myself witnessing a miracle, being in a group that has not been equalled in terms of being apolitical and non-racist - a group that is so diverse and yet stands together with a single voice and one single goal; to free Eugene de Kock. If it were not for Eugene, I would not have experienced being part of this miracle.

My wish for Eugene is that he experiences freedom in all its forms, and that he has enough of everything he needs when he comes out. May his life be filled with enough love, laughter, food, shelter, human companionship, sunshine, nature and, may he learn to trust again. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Eugene for his life, for the sacrifices he made to ensure our safety during those years. I want to thank him for his integrity, for telling the truth and for showing us the characteristics of a real warrior and a true gentleman. And finally, I want to thank him for his life ... it is his life that gave me my passion back when I got sick. It is his life that gave my life purpose. It is his life that has made me fight as hard as I have for mine.

The final answer to Eugene’s freedom will be given by the Minister of Justice at 09h30 on Friday 20^th January 2015. While we all live with cautious optimism that his answer will be the right one, there is still many a slip between the cup and the lip

If the answer is NO, I will continue to fight. But if the answer is YES, then my job is done. A good leader knows when to step down. I hope that I have been a good leader. It will be time for someone else to pick up the baton and run with it for a Presidential Pardon. I will continue to do what I can to make the pardon a reality, but some new blood, someone with more energy, someone who is not restricted by illness and who can travel and do what is needed, needs to take the lead.

Eugene, may your life continue to inspire. As one of the many supporters of your freedom, Sydney Mhlongo told me, “A free de Kock may become the greatest ambassador of peace across the world, teaching people about hatred and how dangerous it is. This is the man who went through it all. Jail will never give him an opportunity to change a world suffering from racism. Free him to teach us to free ourselves from racism”.

May your life be forever blessed, Eugene. My gratitude and love always, Dianne