The coming of democracy in South Africa and coming to term to terms with the past:
1990 to 1991:
Release of political prisoners & the unbanning of organisation:
● February 1989:
○ FW de Klerk elected leader of National Party
● August 1989:
○ Replaced PW Botha as president
● October 1989:
○ Acting on advice of his security advisors
○ Mindful of requests of businesses
○ Aslo growing mass action of UDM
● President de Klerk:
○ Unbanned political orgs
○ Released 7 prominent political prisoners
● December:
○ de Klerk met Mandela at Tuynhuys
○ Paving way for significant changes
○ Persuaded cabinet to accept need to unban ANC, PAC & other liberation movements
○ Begin all party negotiations for new constitution without preconditions
Opening parliament → 2 February 1990: President FW de Klerk announced:
➔ Unbanning of ANC, PAC, SACP
➔ Release of political prisoners (arrested bc members of those banned orgs)
➔ Unconditional release of Nelson Mandela
➔ Removal of censorship of the media
➔ Removal of emergency regulations on educational bodies
➔ South African National Students Congress, UDF, COSATU
➔ Limiting of detention period in terms of emergency regulations to 6 months with prisoners being
allowed to legal representation & medical treatment
Results of FW de Klerk's announcement:
● Conservative Party (DP) & orgs such as AWB (Afrikaner Weertstand Beweging)
○ Reacted with fear & anger
● Traditional NP supporters
○ Turned into extreme groups
● Nelson Mandela released → 11 February 1990
● He flew to Lusaka for discussions with ANC National Executive Committee
○ Was now deputy president
○ Was forced to takeover leading role
, The unbanning of the ANC, return of exiles & release of political prisoners = didn’t bring an end to
problems
Instead:
● Negotiations threatened by differences in opinion
● Continuing violence in many parts of country (esp KZN & Transvaal)
● 1990:
○ Overnight the liberation movement → transform their role from protest & resistance to
negotiation
○ ANC had been banned & in exile
■ Now had to rebuild its org & iron out diff of opinion regarding ideology
■ Major diff (betw more senior & militant younger gen)
■ As to how their ideal → ahcien=ved
■ Moderates seniors managed to convince militants to follow party discipline
Debates around negotiations:
● Following Mandela’s release
○ Preparatory discussions betw. ANC & gov began
● April 1990:
○ First talk scheduled for
○ But called off → police killed 12 residents in Sebokeng town on 26 Mar
● 2 May 1990
○ Negotiations under way
○ At FW de Klerk's home
○ In Groote Schuur, Rondebosch
● In series of agreements
○ Groote Schuur Accord (May 1990)
○ Pretoria Minutes (Aug 1990)
○ DF Malan Accord/ National Peace Accord (Sept 1991)
● Gov & ANC agreed to seek negotiated political settlement
● ANC agreed:
○ Suspend armed struggle but not to disband its armed wing (MK)
1990 to 1991:
Release of political prisoners & the unbanning of organisation:
● February 1989:
○ FW de Klerk elected leader of National Party
● August 1989:
○ Replaced PW Botha as president
● October 1989:
○ Acting on advice of his security advisors
○ Mindful of requests of businesses
○ Aslo growing mass action of UDM
● President de Klerk:
○ Unbanned political orgs
○ Released 7 prominent political prisoners
● December:
○ de Klerk met Mandela at Tuynhuys
○ Paving way for significant changes
○ Persuaded cabinet to accept need to unban ANC, PAC & other liberation movements
○ Begin all party negotiations for new constitution without preconditions
Opening parliament → 2 February 1990: President FW de Klerk announced:
➔ Unbanning of ANC, PAC, SACP
➔ Release of political prisoners (arrested bc members of those banned orgs)
➔ Unconditional release of Nelson Mandela
➔ Removal of censorship of the media
➔ Removal of emergency regulations on educational bodies
➔ South African National Students Congress, UDF, COSATU
➔ Limiting of detention period in terms of emergency regulations to 6 months with prisoners being
allowed to legal representation & medical treatment
Results of FW de Klerk's announcement:
● Conservative Party (DP) & orgs such as AWB (Afrikaner Weertstand Beweging)
○ Reacted with fear & anger
● Traditional NP supporters
○ Turned into extreme groups
● Nelson Mandela released → 11 February 1990
● He flew to Lusaka for discussions with ANC National Executive Committee
○ Was now deputy president
○ Was forced to takeover leading role
, The unbanning of the ANC, return of exiles & release of political prisoners = didn’t bring an end to
problems
Instead:
● Negotiations threatened by differences in opinion
● Continuing violence in many parts of country (esp KZN & Transvaal)
● 1990:
○ Overnight the liberation movement → transform their role from protest & resistance to
negotiation
○ ANC had been banned & in exile
■ Now had to rebuild its org & iron out diff of opinion regarding ideology
■ Major diff (betw more senior & militant younger gen)
■ As to how their ideal → ahcien=ved
■ Moderates seniors managed to convince militants to follow party discipline
Debates around negotiations:
● Following Mandela’s release
○ Preparatory discussions betw. ANC & gov began
● April 1990:
○ First talk scheduled for
○ But called off → police killed 12 residents in Sebokeng town on 26 Mar
● 2 May 1990
○ Negotiations under way
○ At FW de Klerk's home
○ In Groote Schuur, Rondebosch
● In series of agreements
○ Groote Schuur Accord (May 1990)
○ Pretoria Minutes (Aug 1990)
○ DF Malan Accord/ National Peace Accord (Sept 1991)
● Gov & ANC agreed to seek negotiated political settlement
● ANC agreed:
○ Suspend armed struggle but not to disband its armed wing (MK)
