Summary History: Democracy in SA & TRC

Democracy in South Africa

Background - 1980’s

- Lots of violence fermented by third force
- State of emergency was extended for 2 years
- Aimed to steer direction of country, did not want blacks to take over
- Either end in civil war or NP would give up power - both not wanted by businessmen
- SA capitalist economy was failing: global boycotting of exports, disinvestment, slow
economic but large population growth
- NP lost support as CP gained ground
- NP worked with Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) as they feared the ANC
- Externally: USSR could no longer intervene and Berlin Wall was opened
- Results of communism ending:
- Armed struggle SACP, ANC, PAC no longer had funding
- The Old Guard NP lost backing from West and economic sanctions became
more pronounced
- PW Botha was replaced by NP’s liberal FW de Klerk
- Mass democratic movements (MDM) against tricameral elections showed dissatisfaction
in the delay in real political change


1990-1992
De Klerk Quantum Leap speech

→ Feb 1990 at opening of parliament De Klerk announced sweeping reforms
→ unbanning ANC and trade unions
→ release political prisoners including Nelson Mandela
→ end of state of emergency
→ pause on death penalty
→ Botha used to focus more on ANC armed struggle but De Klerk released Nelson from prison
on 11 Feb 1990 = a step toward negotiations

Groote Schuur minutes

→ May 1990 meeting between NP and ANC
→ ANC refused to accede to NP’s main demand of disbanding the MK (armed wing of ANC)
→ Ended with De Klerk and Mandela signing an agreement = step toward negotiations
→ State of emergency lifted everywhere except Natal where there was still violence between
the ANC and NP/ IFP
→ Released many political prisoners and allow exiles to return
→ Some discriminatory laws were repealed
→ NB the SADF remained under government control bc army instigates a lot of violence
→ ANC agree consider suspending armed struggle = step forwards

, Operation Vula

→ Operation Vulindlela secret domestic programme of ANC started in 1986
→ Infiltrated guns, information and people into the country from the headquarters of ANC in
Lusaka
→ Were discovered during a Durban raid in July 1990 followed by arrests and terrorism charges
→ Discovery destabilised negotiations and delayed talks = step backwards ANC fault

Violence in the Vaal Triangle

→ Violence in township Sebokeng between far-left ANC and centrist IFP in July 1990
→ Violence started after rally called by Inkatha ostensibly escorted by police (third force)
→ = step backward IFP fault

Pretoria minutes

→ ANC and NP met to discuss a peaceful political transition in Aug 1990
→ NP agreed to: repeal remaining apartheid laws and lift state of emergency in Natal
→ ANC agreed to: suspend MK’s armed struggle
→ indemnify returning exiles from prosecution for political offences
→ Pretoria minutes resulted in guarded optimism = step toward negotiations

1991 continued violence = set-back

→ ANC felt IFP and NP were allying to destabilise country and undermine peace protests
(third force)
→ IFP felt ANC was trying to take over SA
→ right wing Afrikaans Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) opposed de Klerk's decision to talk to ANC
→ ANC and IFP met to try end ongoing violence
→ ANC absorbed UDF (united democratic front) to widen support base
→ Still violence in townships between ANC and IFP
→ Battle of Ventersdorp shootings between AWB and government forces
→ Sept 1991 National Peace Accord aimed to prevent violence and negotiations being derailed
→ created structures to address behaviour of political parties and security forces and would
mediate issues usually by church leaders

● ANC wanted democratically elected constituent assembly
● NP wanted extended time to negotiate a constitution
● IFP wanted depoliticised process of expert constitution makers