HOW DID SOUTH AFRICA EMERGE AS A DEMOCRACY FROM THE CRISIS OF THE 1990S? How the crisis was managed?

Botha’s South Africa  70s & 80s PW Botha president  Some reforms due to sanctions (e.g. Tricameral parliament, integration of sports teams, etc.)  But SA in crisis:  Internal pressure: COSATU & UDF (strikes & protests)  ANC & PAC banned (illegal organisations) = but still successful in isolating white SA (sport, cultural, arms boycotts)

Botha’s views  Late 80s halted reform  Wouldn’t negotiate with ANC, PAC, SACP  Called them ‘terrorists’ and ‘communists’  Rabidly anti-communist  Dutch Reformed Church: communism ‘evil’ (atheist)  Botha was Minister of Defence before becoming president: placed great emphasis on defence force

PW Botha & international community  Used Cold War to improve international relations  Won support of West during Cold War (Reagan from USA and Thatcher from UK)  SA was reliable ally against communism (therefore had a special status)  Both Reagan & Thatcher opposed more sanctions against SA  SA lost its appeal when relations between West and Soviet Union improved

Was the ANC communist?  Worked closely with the SACP  Joe Slovo & others were members of both  Soviet Union & allies provided military training, funding, weapons  Labeled by NP as the ‘red peril’ (rooi gevaar)

De Klerk  Conservative, but widely travelled  More alert to international developments  Realised communism spent force in world affairs  Open to possibility of negotiating with ANC, PAC, SACP  A realist: realised that dramatic steps needed to be taken  Pressure from USA & UK (SA no longer enjoyed special status)

The ANC, PAC & SACP  Liberation movement depended on Soviet Union  1980s: end of Angolan War ANC lost their right to operate training camps there  Difficult to function in exile  Soviet Union & ‘frontline states’ applied pressure on liberation movement to negotiate with Apartheid Government  ANC always indicated they were willing to negotiate

Liberation movement – cont.  Mandela showed a preference for peaceful negotiations over armed struggle  Once De Klerk showed a willingness to enter into negotiations, ANC rapidly agreed

Road to Democracy  January 1989: Botha suffers a stroke  Power battle between Botha & De Klerk  August 1989: Botha resigns  De Klerk becomes president  October 1989: De Klerk released 8 prominent political prisoners (not Mandela)  Separate Amenities Act repealed

Road to Democracy: Opening of Parliament speech  2 February 1990 opening of parliament  De Klerk announced:  Unbanning of ANC, PAC, SACP  Censorship of media removed  States of Emergency lifted affecting UDF & COSATU  Detention limited to 6 months and legal and medical treatment allowed  Unconditional release of Mandela

Road to Democracy: Mandela released  11 February 1990 Mandela released

Groote Schuur Minute  SA government & ANC began ‘talks about talks’  2 May 1990: 1 st meeting at Groote Schuur  ANC & government delegation met  Committed to resolve violence & work towards a process of negotiations  De Klerk & Mandela jointly announced: “At the end not only are we the ANC and the government – closer together, but we are all victors – South Africa is the victor”.

Pretoria Minute  6 August 1990 more talks held at the Old Residency in Pretoria  ANC announced the end of the armed struggle  OBSTACLES:  Afrikaner right-wing  Some ANC/MK leaders didn’t want to end the armed struggle  ANC/IFP clashes continued in townships  Government accused of supporting a ‘third force’ to destabilise the country

CODESA I  Convention for a Democratic South Africa  20 December major political parties met at the World Trade Centre in Johannesburg  Not IFP and CP  Decide on a new political dispensation for SA  Sat until May 1992  Led by Judges Piet Schabort and Ismail Mohamed  Declaration of intent signed (bring about an undivided SA free from Apartheid)  CP, PAC, IFP and Bophuthatswana did not sign

CODESA II  CODESA II collapsed  Couldn’t reach consensus over issues, such as…  Power sharing  Majority rule  Regional powers  Continued violence

1992 whites only referendum  White SA divided on democratic developments  NP lost by-election in Potchefstroom to CP  CP called for a general election but De Klerk announced a referendum instead  80% of white registered voters voted YES for change  CP halted  Process of reform grew stronger

Internal struggle  Boipatong, Bisho, right-wing resistance great obstacles to democratic reforms  17 June 1992: Boipatong (15 people killed)  7 September 1992: Bisho massacre (29 protestors killed by Ciskei soldiers)  ANC and NP realised negotiations had to continue  ANC appoint Cyril Ramaphosa & NP appoint Roelf Meyuer to hold secret talks

Record of Understanding  Secret talks successful  Reach a compromise  Record of Understanding signed  Newly committed to peaceful negotiations and democratic reforms  OBSTACLE: COSAG (Concerned South Africa Group: IFP, CP, Ciskei & Bophuthatswana)

Hani assassinated  1 April 1993 multi-party talks continue (CODESA III)  Talks jeopardised when Chris Hani’s assassinated  Murdered by Janusz Waluz (CP member) and Clive Derby-Lewis  Mandela addresses the nation  AWB stormed World Trade Centre with an armoured car & disrupts CODESA III

Preparations for 1994 election  Negotiating Council at the World Trade Centre continued talks  Decided first election would be held on 27 April 1994  Started drafting an interim constitution and interim bill of rights  IEC (Independent Electoral Commission) established to administer elections