Topic 5 - Road to Democracy
Timeline
Date Event
1986 ANC and NP agree to negotiate (secret); PW still president
1989 Cold War ends; De Klerk elected president; Mandela and De
Klerk meet
Feb, 1990 De Klerk is president; ANC and SACP unbanned;
announcement of reforms; Mandela released
March 26, 1990 Sebokeng massacre; negs. Delayed, ANC refuses to
participate until sebokeng is handled
May, 1990 Groote Schuur Minute “talks about the talks”; ANC and NP
only discussions
August, 1990 Pretoria Minute, continuation of talks; ANC suspends armed
struggle officially
January, 1991 Mandela meets head of IFP, Buthelezi; high violence levels in
Natal
July, 1991 ANC key policy conference; Mandela officially elected leader
September, 1991 NP, ANC, and IFP sign National Peace Accord: agreement to
work towards peaceful negotiations
December 20, 1991 beginning of CODESA 1, 300 delegates from 19 parties
involved in negs; ANC, SACP, COSATU form tripartite alliance
February, 1992 Potchefstroom by-election; NP loses seat to CP; leads to
referendum
March 17, 1992 white-only referendum; vote on whether/not to continue negs.
process (yes)
May, 1992 CODESA 2
June 17, 1992 Boipatong massacre; end of CODESA - accusations of third
force (NP)
September 7, 1992 Bisho massacre; realisation that negs. must continue; signing
of Record of Understanding; agreement on GNU and Sunset
Clause
April 10, 1993 Chris Hani assassinated (unrest and violence increase);
Mandela calls for calm on SABC
, April, 1993 Beginning of Multi-Party Negotiating Forum
June 25, 1993 AWB storms World Trade Centre in attempt to disrupt negs
July 25, 1993 St James massacre
Late 1993 Agreement on Interim Constitution, temporary government
formed, election date set
December 30, 1993 Heidelberg massacre; APLA suspends armed struggle
March 11, 1994 Bophuthatswana massacre
March 28, 1994 Shell House Massacre
April 26-28, 1994 First democratic election - ANC wins
May, 1994 Formation of GNU
1995 Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act - formation
of TRC
1996 Beginning of TRC
2003 Final TRC report
Timeline
Date Event
1986 ANC and NP agree to negotiate (secret); PW still president
1989 Cold War ends; De Klerk elected president; Mandela and De
Klerk meet
Feb, 1990 De Klerk is president; ANC and SACP unbanned;
announcement of reforms; Mandela released
March 26, 1990 Sebokeng massacre; negs. Delayed, ANC refuses to
participate until sebokeng is handled
May, 1990 Groote Schuur Minute “talks about the talks”; ANC and NP
only discussions
August, 1990 Pretoria Minute, continuation of talks; ANC suspends armed
struggle officially
January, 1991 Mandela meets head of IFP, Buthelezi; high violence levels in
Natal
July, 1991 ANC key policy conference; Mandela officially elected leader
September, 1991 NP, ANC, and IFP sign National Peace Accord: agreement to
work towards peaceful negotiations
December 20, 1991 beginning of CODESA 1, 300 delegates from 19 parties
involved in negs; ANC, SACP, COSATU form tripartite alliance
February, 1992 Potchefstroom by-election; NP loses seat to CP; leads to
referendum
March 17, 1992 white-only referendum; vote on whether/not to continue negs.
process (yes)
May, 1992 CODESA 2
June 17, 1992 Boipatong massacre; end of CODESA - accusations of third
force (NP)
September 7, 1992 Bisho massacre; realisation that negs. must continue; signing
of Record of Understanding; agreement on GNU and Sunset
Clause
April 10, 1993 Chris Hani assassinated (unrest and violence increase);
Mandela calls for calm on SABC
, April, 1993 Beginning of Multi-Party Negotiating Forum
June 25, 1993 AWB storms World Trade Centre in attempt to disrupt negs
July 25, 1993 St James massacre
Late 1993 Agreement on Interim Constitution, temporary government
formed, election date set
December 30, 1993 Heidelberg massacre; APLA suspends armed struggle
March 11, 1994 Bophuthatswana massacre
March 28, 1994 Shell House Massacre
April 26-28, 1994 First democratic election - ANC wins
May, 1994 Formation of GNU
1995 Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act - formation
of TRC
1996 Beginning of TRC
2003 Final TRC report
