Secret Talks and Preparing the Way (Grade 12 NSC Matric History): Revision Notes
Secret Talks and Preparing the Way
This period marked a crucial turning point in South African history, when behind-the-scenes conversations began to pave the way for the eventual negotiated settlement. The secret talks and preparatory steps taken between 1987 and 1991 were essential in creating the conditions that would eventually lead to South Africa's peaceful transition to democracy.
Secret talks with the ANC in exile and with Mandela
The beginning of dialogue
Following 1987, a significant shift occurred when government officials and white business leaders started holding secret meetings with ANC leadership. These conversations represented the first serious attempt to bridge the gap between the apartheid government and the liberation movement.
The shift towards dialogue in 1987 marked a fundamental change in approach from the apartheid government, which had previously relied primarily on repression and military force to maintain control.
Timeline of secret meetings
July 1987: The process began when a group of 60 liberal Afrikaner businessmen and cultural leaders travelled to Dakar, Senegal to meet with exiled ANC leaders for an entire week. This groundbreaking meeting opened the door for future dialogue.
1987-1990: Approximately 20 additional secret meetings took place, primarily in hotel rooms in foreign cities. These sessions were not formal negotiations where agreements were signed. Instead, they served a more fundamental purpose - allowing both sides to understand each other's perspectives and gradually build mutual trust.
1988-February 1990: Between these dates, large groups of up to 20 influential leaders from both sides met at Mells Park House, a country estate in the United Kingdom, to discuss the essential conditions needed for proper negotiations to take place.
These secret meetings were crucial because they allowed both sides to move beyond propaganda and stereotypes to understand each other's real positions and concerns. The focus on building trust rather than formal agreements created the foundation for later successful negotiations.
Mandela's central role
Nelson Mandela became increasingly important in these discussions, even while imprisoned. His involvement followed a careful progression:
1987: Talks between Mandela and the government began slowly in Pollsmoor prison, starting with meetings with Kobie Coetsee, the Minister of Justice.
Key discussion topics included:
- The ongoing armed struggle
- The ANC's relationship with the Communist Party
- The concept of majority rule
- Ideas about racial reconciliation
May 1988: Mandela held 47 meetings with Niels Barnard, Botha's chief strategist, between 1988 and 1990, demonstrating the government's serious commitment to dialogue.
1989: Mandela was provided with an open telephone line to consult with OR Tambo (the ANC President in exile) in Lusaka. He was also permitted to meet with leaders of the United Democratic Front (UDF) at Victor Verster prison near Paarl.
July 1989: The most significant breakthrough occurred when Nelson Mandela finally met directly with P.W. Botha himself, marking the highest level of direct contact between the liberation movement and the apartheid government.
Historic Meeting: Mandela and P.W. Botha, July 1989
This meeting represented a watershed moment in South African politics. For the first time, the imprisoned leader of the ANC sat across from the President of South Africa as equals in dialogue. The meeting lasted several hours and covered key issues including the conditions for Mandela's release and the framework for future negotiations. Though no formal agreements were reached, the meeting symbolically demonstrated that direct dialogue between the highest levels of both sides was possible.
Preparing the way for negotiations (1989-1991)
Critical events that changed the landscape
While 1989 saw extensive dialogue and relationship building, it initially showed few signs of a major breakthrough. However, several important developments in 1988 and 1989 created new possibilities for a negotiated settlement.
Military pressure and defeats:
- 1988: The South African Army experienced a major military defeat in Angola at the battle of Cuito Cuanavale
- This defeat shocked the military establishment and strengthened arguments within the National Party that whites could not maintain power through force alone
The defeat at Cuito Cuanavale was a turning point because it demonstrated the limits of South Africa's military power. For the first time, many white South Africans began to question whether military solutions could secure their long-term survival, making negotiations seem more attractive as an alternative.
Economic and international pressure:
- The 1980s brought increased economic sanctions and international pressure
- Many international banks stopped investing in South Africa
- By the time De Klerk became president, foreign companies were losing confidence in the South African economy and withdrawing their investments
- The economy fell into deep trouble, making reform more urgent
Political changes within the National Party:
- Early 1989: P.W. Botha suffered a stroke, allowing more liberal National Party leaders to remove him as president and reduce the influence of military generals
- F.W. de Klerk was elected leader of the National Party in 1989
- Although conservative in his thinking, De Klerk believed that reform offered the only viable path to preserve white power
Preparing the white community for negotiations
De Klerk faced the challenge of convincing white South Africans that negotiations were necessary while managing internal opposition.
Building support for reform: De Klerk believed that the National Party could work with its black allies (such as Dr Buthelezi of the Inkatha Freedom Party) to create a constitution that would preserve white power while challenging the ANC in elections.
Managing white opposition: However, whites remained deeply divided on the issue. De Klerk worried that right-wing leaders like Eugène Terre'Blanche of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) might create a paramilitary movement. If these groups allied with conservative elements in the army, they could pose a serious threat to the National Party reformers.
The challenge of managing white opposition was significant because De Klerk needed to move fast enough to satisfy black demands for change while not moving so fast that he provoked a white backlash that could derail the entire process.
The 1989 election: De Klerk called an election in 1989, asking whites to support political reforms (though he was careful not to promise the complete end of apartheid). The National Party lost 27 seats, with many going to right-wing parties. However, the liberal Democratic Party also gained seats, indicating that a significant portion of the white population supported reform.
International context: 1989 also witnessed popular revolutions and the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, marking a significant shift in world history that influenced South African developments.
Preparing the liberation movement for negotiations
Building consensus: By August 1989, it became clear to many observers that negotiations represented a real possibility. However, ANC and Mass Democratic Movement (MDM) leaders needed to convince their supporters to back negotiations. This could only happen if they could secure agreement on acceptable conditions for a negotiated settlement.
The Harare Declaration:
- August 1989: The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) adopted the Harare Declaration on negotiations with the South African government
- The ANC drafted this crucial document, which established the principles under which political negotiations would be acceptable to the liberation movement and its allies
- December 1989: The declaration received formal approval from 4,600 delegates at a conference in Harare, representing ANC and UDF-affiliated organisations
The Harare Declaration was crucial because it provided a unified liberation movement position on negotiations. Without this document, different liberation organisations might have entered negotiations with conflicting demands, weakening their bargaining position.
Unbanning of organisations and release of political prisoners
De Klerk's historic announcement
2 February 1990 marked a watershed moment in South African history when De Klerk opened Parliament with a speech that would fundamentally change the country's direction. His announcement outlined several revolutionary steps:
Unbanning of organisations:
- The ANC, PAC, SACP and numerous subsidiary organisations would have their bans lifted
- People imprisoned simply for belonging to these organisations would be released
Emergency regulations:
- Media emergency regulations and education emergency regulations would be abolished
- Restrictions under emergency regulations on 33 organisations would be removed
- The detention period under security emergency regulations would be limited to just six months
Mandela's release: The government committed to releasing Nelson Mandela unconditionally - a decision that would prove to be the most symbolic and significant of all the changes.
De Klerk's 2 February 1990 speech represented a point of no return for South Africa. By unbanning the liberation organisations and committing to release Mandela, the government effectively acknowledged the legitimacy of its former enemies and opened the door to fundamental political change.
The release of political prisoners
Gradual process: As an act of goodwill and to test reactions, the government had already begun releasing some political prisoners during 1989, including Govan Mbeki and Ahmed Kathrada.
February 1990 releases: In the two weeks following De Klerk's announcement, most remaining political prisoners gained their freedom.
Mandela's release - 11 February 1990: On this historic date, Nelson Mandela walked free from prison. He was immediately taken to the Grand Parade in Cape Town, where he delivered an uncompromising speech that had been prepared by the MDM leadership.
The speech emphasised South Africa's need to be governed by "a body which is democratically elected on a non-racial basis" - making it clear that despite his release, the liberation movement's fundamental demands remained unchanged.
Historic Moment: Mandela's Release Speech, 11 February 1990
Standing before thousands at the Grand Parade in Cape Town, Mandela declared: "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities." This speech demonstrated that 27 years in prison had not changed his commitment to non-racial democracy, sending a clear message that negotiations would need to address fundamental change, not cosmetic reforms.
Obstacles to negotiations
Despite these remarkable developments, South Africa faced significant challenges before serious negotiations about the country's future could begin. The country had embarked on a new path with no possibility of turning back, but substantial obstacles still needed to be addressed to clear the way for meaningful talks about creating a democratic South Africa.
The secret talks and preparatory steps taken between 1987 and 1991 created the foundation for what would eventually become the negotiated settlement that transformed South Africa from apartheid to democracy.
Key Points to Remember:
- Secret talks began in 1987 with meetings between white business leaders and ANC officials in Dakar, Senegal, focusing on building mutual trust rather than formal negotiations
- Key events in 1988-1989 created conditions for change: the military defeat at Cuito Cuanavale, economic sanctions, P.W. Botha's stroke, and F.W. de Klerk's rise to power
- The Harare Declaration (August 1989) established the liberation movement's principles for acceptable negotiations, approved by 4,600 delegates in December 1989
- 2 February 1990 marked the historic moment when De Klerk announced the unbanning of liberation organisations and committed to releasing Nelson Mandela unconditionally
- Mandela's release on 11 February 1990 symbolised the beginning of South Africa's transition, though significant obstacles to formal negotiations remained