The 1990s Nego,a,on Process in South Africa
Context
• The Na(onal Party government was experiencing increasing pressure by 1989 as a result of internal
resistance and ac(on by interna(onal an(-apartheid movements
• The intensified armed struggle, the con(nued sanc(ons and boycoCs imposed by the interna(onal
community, the New York Accords and the loss of Western support (i.e the end of the Cold War) all served
to place pressure on the Na(onal Party government
• Change was expected, though the current president PW Botha vehemently opposed reform of any sort
• 1989: PW Botha was replaced by FW De Klerk as president of the Na(onal Party government
Secret Nego(a(ons With ANC (in exile)
• Secret nego(a(ons between the Na(onal Party government and the African Na(onal Congress took place
ahead of 1990
• In a series of mee(ngs, members of the private sector met the members of the ANC
• 1985: Business leaders met with the ANC in Lusaka, Zambia — the delega(on was led by Gavin Relly
(Anglo-American Group)
• 1987: A second delega(on of liberal Afrikaners met with ANC in Dakar, Senegal — led by Frederik van Zyl
Slabbert, a member of the Progressive Federal Party
• Individual members of the Na(onal Party government par(cipated in secret mee(ngs with members of
the ANC as a means of building mutual trust
• Willie Esterhuyse, Sampie Terreblanche & Willem De Klerk (FW’s brother) — engaged in secret
nego(a(ons as representa(ves of the NP government, repor(ng back to NP officials
• 1988-1990: 12 intensive mee(ngs were held at Mells Park in Britain
• These mee(ngs were significant as they indicated a shia in thinking and that a number of white South
Africans recognised the ANC was cri(cal in the process of nego(a(ons for a democra(c dispensa(on
• The Harare Declara(on adopted by the Organisa(on of African Unity
• The declara(on stated that a “conjecture of circumstances exists” wherein the prospects of an end to
apartheid were in sight, provided there was agreement to build a “united, democra(c and non-racial
state”
• The Harare Declara(on - “conjecture of circumstances” that could possibly result in a democra(c post-
apartheid South Africa, given a suitable climate for nego(a(ons is established
Nego(a(ons with Mandela
• The Na(onal Party government, under Botha, had ini(ated talks with Nelson Mandela i.e evidence that
the government understood that Mandela was a key role player in a process of nego(a(ons
• 30 March 1982: Mandela was transferred from Robben Island to Pollsmore Prison with Walter Sisulu,
Raymond Mhlaba and Andrew Mlangeni
• 1985: Botha’s administra(on began to hold secret talks with Mandela
• Botha demanded that Mandela agree to end his commitment to the armed struggle — the condi(on
upon which Nelson Mandela’s release relied
,• It appeared as if the Na(onal Party government was aCemp(ng to divide Mandela and other an(-
apartheid ac(vists imprisoned in Pollsmoor, as well as from Oliver Tambo (based in Lusaka, Zambia as an
exile)
• Mandela, however, refused any condi(onal release from prison, refused to be separated from his
colleagues and refused to engage with offers that posed his early release
• 1988: Nelson Mandela was then relocated and isolated in Victor Verster Prison to facilitate secret
discussions between himself and the Na(onal Party government
• 1988-1990: Mandela met with NP government’s head of South Africa’s Na(onal Intelligence Service, Neil
Barnard, numerous (mes throughout this (me
• Mandela indicated that he was not in the posi(on to nego(ate on behalf of the African Na(onal Congress
• The apartheid government came to realise that talks with Mandela were only possible if he were released
from prison
• 1989: Although P.W Botha was resistant to change, the Na(onal Party government had ini(ated talks with
Mandela - a prisoner with a life sentence as a result of his an(-apartheid ac(ons
• P.W Botha showed no interest in releasing these poli(cal prisoners
• Following Botha’s stroke, De Klerk assumed power as president of the country
• 15 October 1989: De Klerk displayed interest in democra(c change when he released the poli(cal
prisoners of the Rivonia Trial, including Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Raymond Mhlaba, Andrew
Mlangeni and Elias Motsoaledi
• This uncondi(onal release was viewed as a sign of the apartheid government’s willingness to engage the
ANC in nego(a(ons
• Their release was greeted with scenes of wild celebra(ons na(on-wide
• 1989: De Klerk met with Mandela
• Mandela was later permiCed to meet with United Democra(c Front leaders at Victor Verster prison -
although this mee(ng was under surveillance for its en(re dura(on
De Klerk’s Unbanning Speech & Mandela’s Release
• 02 February 1990: The “Unbanning Speech” in which De Klerk liaed the ban on a variety of libera(on
organisa(ons, including the African Na(onal Congress, the Pan-Africanist Congress and the South African
Communist Party
• As well as this, the restric(ons on 33 organisa(ons, including the UDF and COSATU, were liaed
• Mandela was also to be released uncondi(onally
• The death penalty was suspended
• Further announced that poli(cal prisoners that had not been convicted for violent crimes would be
released — SELECTIVE RELEASES CAUSED PROTESTS
• Declared his willingness to cooperate with all poli(cal groups in South Africa to create a democra(c
dispensa(on
• These announcements echoed the demands made by the African Na(onal Congress in the Harare
Declara(on issued in 1989
• De Klerk seized the ini(a(ve to dominate nego(a(ons as he assumed that the ANC would be weak aaer
having been banned for thirty years and having lost USSR support (Gorbachev’s reforms)
, Nelson Mandela’s Release
• 11 February 1990: Nelson Mandela was released from prison, uncondi(onally
• He had previously refused to be released un(l such a (me that his release was uncondi(onal
• Despite the Na(onal Party’s wishes, upon his release, Nelson Mandela did not call for the suspension of
the armed struggle or the liaing of economic sanc(ons by the interna(onal community
• Instead at his first address at the Grand Parade on 11 February 1990, he called for the release of all the
remaining poli(cal prisoners
• This appeal would form the basis of intense conflict in the nego(a(on process in the years ahead
• August 1990: Following Oliver Tambo’s stroke, Mandela assumed the posi(on as President of the African
Na(onal Congress — a significant development
• This decision was made in discussions that took place in Lusaka, Zambia
The Impact of Release of Poli(cal Prisoners
• February - March 1990: 50 prisoners from both the ANC and the PAC were released
• The government refused to release those convicted of violence, including terrorism, murder and arson
• Was hugely controversial
• Robben Island prisoners subsequently embarked on a hunger strike
• The ANC was empha(c that the future of nego(a(ons rested upon the government’s willingness to
release these prisoners
• By 1991: The Na(onal Party government had released 933 prisoners
• Created a sense of na(on-wide op(mism
• Many believed that these releases, most significantly Mandela’s, was indica(ve of the end of the
apartheid regime
• Upon his release, Mandela called for the escala(on of internal resistance to further fuel nego(a(ons for a
democra(c South Africa
Problems Ahead of Nego,a,on Talks
Problems for The Na(onal Party Government
• The Conserva(ve Party (right-wing) broke away from the Na(onal Party, claiming that De Klerk should be
charged for treason
• As a result, De Klerk was concerned that the all-white Na(onal Party government would no longer
support him now that he was elec(ng to engage with the ANC and Nelson Mandela
• Several extra-parliamentary extremist white right-wing groupings emerging — all of which were hoping to
further destabilise the na(on i.e. the Afrikaner Weerstand Beweging (AWB)
• Some Na(onal Party government leaders hoped to maintain their power through an alliance with Inkatha
Problems for the African Na(onal Congress
• The newly-unbanned ANC was challenged given the lack of structured organisa(on on the part of na(on-
wide mass resistance
