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Breaking the Logjam

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The New Dawn

FW de Klerk Becomes President

On 20 September 1989 FW de Klerk was inaugurated as President after leading the National Party to victory – with a reduced majority – in the election of 6 September.

Within the first months of his presidency, he granted permission for peaceful demonstrations and announced the release of the remaining high level ANC prisoners – with the exception of Nelson Mandela – whom he met for the first time on 13 December.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November, President de Klerk concluded that the time for successful negotiations would never again be so favourable.

In December, he met with National Party colleagues to discuss the next steps in the transformation of South Africa.

The New Dawn

The 2 February 1990 Speech and the Release of Nelson Mandela

On 2 February 1990, in a speech at the opening of Parliament, President FW de Klerk made the announcements that would change South Africa forever. He announced:

The unbanning of the ANC, the SACP and other revolutionary organisations,
The imminent release of Nelson Mandela, and
The government’s willingness to negotiate a new constitution for South Africa.

On 9 February President de Klerk met with Nelson Mandela and informed him of his imminent release. On 11 February Nelson Mandela walked out of the Victor Verster Prison and, the same evening, made a fiery speech to a huge crowd outside the Cape Town City Hall.

The New Dawn

First Talks with the ANC

The government held exploratory talks with the ANC at Groote Schuur on 2-4 Nay 1990. The meeting dealt with the release of ANC prisoners, indemnity for returning ANC exiles and channels of communication.

On 6 August 1990, in the Pretoria minute, the ANC agreed to suspend its armed struggle and the government agreed to consider lifting the state of emergency. Both sides expressed concern over escalating violence.

At the DF Malan airport meeting on 12 February 1991 the ANC and the government discussed the cessation of armed attacks and the status of the ANC’s armed wing.

The government agreed to suspend all unauthorised activities against the ANC.

The New Dawn

The Problem of Violence

Progress toward the commencement of constitutional negotiations was seriously impeded by escalating violence.

In July 1990 the security forces uncovered Operation Vula, an underground ANC offensive. In July 1991 the ‘Inkathagate’ exposes revealed that elements in the security forces had been funding Inkatha Operations and training IFP forces.

Escalating violence led to the adoption of the National Peace Accord on 14 September 1991. The accord made provision for a code of conduct for political parties and the security forces; a national peace secretariat; a national peace committee; and a national peace commission, under the chairmanship of Judge Richard Goldstone, to investigate and report on violence and intimidation.