Summary The Coming of Democracy in South Africa

THE COMING OF DEMOCRACY IN SOUTH AFRICA
 Road to attaining democracy was one of difficulty and had to overcome a number of
obstacles
 Many people thought a civil war was going to break out
 But – in 4 years, through lengthy negotiations – settlement was reached
 CHANGE WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BY:
 internal resistance, which sparked international condemnation of SA – severe
repercussions for SA: economy dropped, collapse was near, price of gold dropped,
inflation increased rapidly
 became clear to most SA citizens that apartheid needed to end if there was to be
economic prosperity and political stability
 forward thinking politicians and business leaders, used CONCILIATION as a strategy
to bring about negotiations, and eventually a democracy in 1994
 PW Botha died in 1989, FW de Klerk moved rapidly to make drastic changes – TRC
was eventually established – help heal SA from its divided and fractured past

THE BEGINNING OF THE SOLUTION

 1980’s – NP’s power was challenged
 Increased internal mass resistance
 Negative impact of economic sanctions and disinvestment on SA economy
 International pressure from AAM and other movements
 Members of the NP itself, could see the need for a change in policy
 PW Botha forced to step down – opposed to change, this followed his ill health (2 strokes),
and his public criticism of another NP leader, FW de Klerk, for planning a visit to the ANC in
Lusaka
 He was replaced by FW de Klerk – who saw the urgent need for a different approach

SECRET NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE ANC IN EXILE

 1980’s  became clear to white business leaders and politicians that the ANC could not be
ignored if a solution to SA’s problems was to be found
 1985  group of prominent business leaders, led by Gavin Relly of the Anglo-American
Corporation, flew to Lusaka in Zambia to meet with Oliver Tambo & other ANC members
 1987  Van Zyl Slabbert, an opposition politician, led a group of liberal Afrikaners to meet
with ANC leaders in Dakar in Senegal
 SIGNIFICANT  even though the ANC remained a banned organisation, influential people
were starting to accept that it had a crucial role in determining SA’s future

NEGOTIATIONS WITH MANDELA
 Even under PW Botha, the government realised the importance of Mandela – who was
sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964
 1982 – gov. moved to Mandela from Robben Island to a prison on the mainland
 1985 – members of the government held secret talks with Mandela – but he rejected all
offers of release unless it was unconditional
 1988 – Mandela moved to a house in the grounds of Victor Verster prison at Paarl
 It was extremely evident to the government that there would be no solution to the crises in
SA while Mandela remained in jail
 September 1989, NP won, but only by a few seats to the Conservative Party

,  This, along with the growing mass action of the MDM, mass movement of trade unions, the
UDF, many anti-apartheid movements and requests from business and church leaders to
transform SA’s political landscape – De Klerk decided to seek advice from his security
advisors
 December 1989 – De Klerk and Mandela meet at the Tuynhuys

THE START OF NEGOTIATIONS

 2 FEB, 1990 - De Klerk surprises Parliament with his speech – dramatic move
 Announced:
 Removal of the ban on the ANC, PAC and SACP
 Release of political prisoners who were arrested on the charges of being part of a
banned organisation – but not prisoners with charges of terrorism, murder and
arson
 The ANC challenged this as many offences were in the name of democracy & they
refused to enter negotiations until they were released
 By 19991 – 933 prisoners had been released
 Censorship of the media would be removed
 Easing of restrictions
 Suspension of the death penalty
 Unconditional release of Mandela
 The willingness to work with all political groups to create a new and democratic
constitution
 11 FEBRUARY, 1990 – Mandela released after 27 years in jail – 2 weeks after his release he
travelled to Lusaka to meet the ANC and discuss the way forward, he became the Deputy
President, Oliver Tambo remained President
 People expected all their problems to be solved now that Mandela had been
released
 He visited 13 countries a few months later, widely respected
 To the dismay of the government, he URGED countries to maintain economic
sanctions against SA until progress to a democracy was assured

DEBATES AROUND NEGOTIATIONS

 Both the ANC & NP had announced their commitment to change – but BOTH parties faced
serious obstacles before negotiations about constitutional changes could take place
 ANC:
 Had been banned for 30 yrs, had to build up an organisational structure & transform
from a liberation movement to a political party
 Difference in ideologies & tactics amongst the ANC leadership – Chris Hani returned
from exile in 1990 and became leader of the SACP & he agreed that the armed
struggle should be temporarily called off during negotiations, but not permanently
renounced
 Oliver Tambo had to convince people in SA, in MK & western and African
governments that negotiations had to begin – and that an armed overthrow was not
the way forward
 Exiles believed that they had been carrying the burden of the resistance struggle for
30 yrs, but those in SA resented them for returning and taking control, and
overlooking THEIR efforts