ROAD TO DEMOCRACY SUMMARY
How the crises were managed - negotiation, conflict, compromise, settlement, elections
(FOCUS OF THE QUESTION)
.
Introduction
-In 1989, the NP elected a new leader named F.W. de Klerk
-1989 was also the year in which the Cold War came to an end.
-The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and the Soviet Union entered a period of glasnost, with the USA
remaining the world’s only Superpower.
The ‘communist threat’ which the National Party had said it was fighting, no longer
existed. (The South African government was deprived of the main reason for its internal
repression and its aggressive foreign policy.)
-The ANC could no longer rely on the Soviet Union for support.
-De Klerk argued that the time had come to negotiate with the mass-based opposition parties.
-On 2 February 1990, De Klerk announced the release of Nelson Mandela.
-He also unbanned the ANC, the PAC, the SACP and all other banned organisations.
-On 11 February 1990 Mandela was released
Negotiations
Formal negotiations began at The Convention of a new South Africa (CODESA).
CODESA 1 was preceded by three key meetings between the South African government and the
ANC to prepare the way:
4 May 1990: Groote Schuur Minute: Both parties agreed to end the violence
Both parties agreed to process of negotiation
6 August 1990: The Pretoria Minute: The ANC stopped the armed struggle
14 September 1991: The National Peace Accord was signed by representatives of twenty-seven
political organisations and national and homeland governments.
They pledged themselves to greater tolerance towards each other.
CODESA I began on 20 December 1991 at the World Trade Centre in Kempton Park. Nineteen
groups were represented at CODESA, including: South African government, National Party,
African National Congress, Inkatha Freedom Party
The right-wing white Conservative Party and the left-wing Pan Africanist Congress boycotted
CODESA.
Whites only referendum: March 1992
The credibility of De Klerk’s government among whites was uncertain.
In the period between CODESA I and CODESA II in early 1992, the NP lost three by-elections
to the Conservative Party.
If his position was not supported by his own white constituency, the negotiations could not work.
De Klerk announced a ‘whites only’ referendum to test white opinion on reform and negotiations.
The National Party warned the white voters that a ‘no’ vote would mean continued tough
international sanctions, and civil war.
Big business leaders collected funds to promote a ‘yes’ vote.
On the other hand, the Conservative Party played on white racial prejudices, and tried to scare
white
voters to vote ‘no’ with old ‘swart gevaar’ (black danger) propaganda.
The result of the referendum was a landslide ‘yes’.
De Klerk had the mandate he needed.
CODESA II:
Formal negotiations were renewed at CODESA II CODESA II took place in May 1992, but did
not last long.
In June 1992, violence erupted in Boipatong.
Armed members of the Inkatha Freedom Party with the assistance of the police attacked the
residents of Boipatong killing about 46 people in what became known as the Boipatong
Massacre.
Mandela accused De Klerk's government of complicity in the attack and withdrew the ANC from
the
negotiations, leading to the end of CODESA II.
Conflict
After the Boipatong Massacre and the breakdown of negotiations at CODESA II, the ANC took
to the streets with a programme of "rolling mass action".
In September 1992, a crowd of about 80 000 people gathered in Bisho to protest against the
Ciskei
“homeland” government of Brigadier Oupa Gqozo.
Ciskei troops and the South African Defence Force opened fire on the protesters, killing 28
people.
After massacres at Boipatong and Bisho, the Goldstone Commission of Inquiry was set up to
investigate the violence.
The Goldstone Commission found that the clashes were not only between the ANC and the IFP
but that the government had played a role in the form of the covert operation of the Third Force,
which consisted of apartheid power stakeholders who actively opposed a non-racial democracy in
South Africa.
The right-wing was demanding an independent Afrikaner province or Volkstaat and the
recognition of Afrikaans as the main official language.
The AWB, the CP and the VF launched a number of protests and threatened war.
Compromise
Following the collapse of CODESA II, behind the scenes talks between the ANC and the NP
became the main negotiation channel.
Two key negotiators were Cyril Ramaphosa of the ANC, and Roelf Meyer of the National Party.
After meeting several times, the government and the ANC agreed on a Record of Understanding
on 26 September 1992.
Both the government and the ANC made compromises.
The government agreed to: Release more political prisoners
Ban the carrying of ‘traditional’ weapons.
In previous negotiations, De Klerk's government had been pushing for a two-phase transition,
with an
appointed transitional government with a rotating presidency.
The ANC pushed instead for a transition in a single stage to majority rule.
The ANC compromised with the National Party’s demands by agreeing to:
A Government of National Unity.
The GNU would include all parties which obtained over 5% of the vote in democratic elections
for the first five years.
The meant that the National Party was sure to be included.
The term 'sunset clause' was used for this compromise.
It allowed the gradual phasing out of white rule rather than one dramatic handover of power.
The negotiation process was about to restart.
Settlement
On 2 April 1993, the Multi-Party Negotiation Process (MPNP) began at the World Trade Centre
in Kempton Park.
The structure and process was very different to CODESA.
The white right (the Conservative Party and the Afrikaner Volksunie), the Pan Africanist
Congress, the KwaZulu Bantustan government and delegations of "traditional leaders" initially
participated in the Multiparty Negotiating Forum.
The negotiating forum was responsible for finalising all decisions made.
The two main negotiating parties, the ANC and the NP, agreed to reach bilateral consensus on
issues before taking them to the other parties in the forum.
This put considerable pressure on the other parties to agree with the consensus or be left behind.
Assassination of Chris Hani and Right Wing Threats
On Saturday morning, 10 April 1993, Chris Hani was shot and killed in the driveway of his home
in Boksburg, by right-winger Janusz Walus,
The murder of Chris Hani threatened to derail the negotiation process.
Nelson Mandela went on national television and called upon South Africans to act with restraint
to prevent the country from being engulfed in civil war.
Hani’s assassination was a serious threat to negotiations.
The ANC called for the immediate announcement of the date for general elections and a
Transitional Executive Council.
The extremist right wing AWB interrupted the negotiations on 15 June 15 1993, when they
stormed the World Trade Centre in an armoured vehicle, breaking the glass front of the building.
They entered the building with guns in a bid to wreck the negotiations.
However, his death ultimately proved a turning point, after which the main parties pushed for a
settlement with increased determination.
Elections
Just two days before the election, Central Johannesburg suffered a bombing carried out by
the white right-wing.
The bomb went off outside the African National Congress regional and national
headquarters.
Nine people were killed
On Election Day, a car bomb at Johannesburg's Jan Smuts Airport injured 16 people and
caused massive structural damage to the north face of the building.
These serious incidents of political violence were carried out by members of the AWB in
support of the organisation's struggle to prevent majority rule.
The election took place over three days (27-29 April) in 1994.
For the first time, all South African adults in the country went to the polls.
Nineteen political parties participated and twenty-two million people voted in a hugely successful
election.
The African National Congress (ANC) won the election with 62.65 % of the vote.
The National Party (NP) received 20.39 %
Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) 10.54 %
Freedom Front (FF) 2.2 %
Democratic Party (DP) 1.7 %
Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) 1.2 %
African Christian Democratic Party 0.5 %
Example essay
Discuss to what extent South Africa emerged as a democracy from the crisis of
the 1990s.
Use relevant examples in your discussion. [50]
South Africa had emerged as a democracy from the crisis of the 1990s. The following
essay will be highlighted to prove to which extent ANC activists had gone for South
Africa to have democracy from the crisis in 1990.
Secret negotiations took place because of the general unrest in the country. There was
a negative impact on the economy because of sanctions and disinvestments. The
National party (NP) strategy was to negotiate with the ANC exiles and release of ANC
activists such as Govan Mbeki. Negotiations with Mandela by the National Party took
place in Pollsmoor prison. It focused on the armed struggle and continued violence.
The unbanning of organizations during the process of different political parties. FW de
Klerk became the new leader of the NP. The PAC, the ANC and SACP were
unbanned.
On 2 May 1990 the ANC delegation was led by Nelson Mandela. At the Groote Schuur
meeting, both groups were committed to end violence and work towards a process of
negotiations. The agreement consisted of the following brought principles: the release
of political prisoners and grant immunity against prosecution. Efficient lines of
communications were established between both parties to limit the upsurge of political
violence. The government agreed to provide temporary immunity to exiles to allow
them to return to South Africa.
The ANC and the NP worked towards establishing a process whereby a peaceful
political settlement could be negotiated. The major political parties met at the World
Trade Centre thrush out a political dispensation for South Africa. CODESA 1 brought
about unity, patriotism, loyalty, freedom and equality The declaration of intent was
signed at CODESA 1. CODESA 1 The declaration of intent was signed
De Klerk ignored the Conservative demand for general elections but called for a
referendum on the process of negotiation. The NP called for a referendum instead of
elections. Majority of white South African were in favour of negotiations with the ANC
and other political parties. De Klerk’s position grew stronger.
The major role player of ANC and NP met at CODESA 2 to resolve the outstanding
issues that confronted the process of negotiations for a constitutional democratic
country. The CODESA 2 failed to reach consensus of the following issues: majority
rule, power sharing, regional powers, and an end to violence. ANC and many of its
allies walked out of CODESA 2 threatening rolling mass action.
Violence in the 1990s. There was conflict between the ANC and the IFP (black political
Parties). National Party had instigated the IFP so that they will not be friends with the
ANC which was known as the third force behind the conflict. Violence took place in July
1990 in Sebokeng and June 1992 in Boipatong
Multinational Party Negotiations took place between different political parties on 2 April.
MPNF consisted of 26 participants and talks were bilateral with the ANC and NP
reaching consensus. The afrikanervolkseine, Conservative party, PAC and traditional
leader were initially put off the forum. The record of understanding was signed.
However, after the record of understanding Chris Hani was assassinated in 1993 by
Januz Waluz and Clive Derby Lewis. The country went into a state of crisis and NP
was losing control and Mandela addressed the nation to stay calm after the murder.
Several memorials for Chris Hani took place.
The ongoing violence was storming of the World trade Centre by extreme Afrikaners
(AWB), St James massacre, the PAC attacked the church in Cape Town and
Heidelberg tavern was also attacked. and violence took place in Bophuthatswana.
Therefore, from the above essay highlighted it is shown that the ANC went to a great
extent to achieve democracy for South Africa by negotiating with other political parties.
Nelson Mandela had become the first black president in South Africa and democracy
had been established in South Arica
