Madiba – a six part review of the past 95 years. Part 5

by Steuart Pennington

I am reaching out to every single South African, black and white, from the very depths of my being.  A white man, full of prejudice has brought our nation to the brink of disaster.  A white Afrikaner woman risked her life so that we may bring the assassin to justice.  Now is the time for all South Africans to stand together ….”

Four years of negotiating our future – some highs, some lows – but never maleficence.

In this the 5th part of our six part series on the life of Madiba we focus on the difficulty of the negotiation dynamic; his relationship with President F.W de Klerk; the precariousness of the process; and the determination to achieve the end goal.

And for Madiba those four years must have been stressful, what he was attempting to do what had never been done before – a negotiated, peaceful hand-over of political power from a minority to a majority.

The important thing about this ‘chapter’ in his life is that his experience as a negotiator was very limited, after all, he had been in jail for 27 years previous to the process commencing. But almost more importantly, the process did not start with his first meeting with President P.W.Botha. It started five years before his release when, by chance, he met with Minister of Prisons, Kobie Coetsee.

1985: Madiba admitted to Volks hospital in Cape Town for surgery on an enlarged prostate gland.

Minister of Prisons, Kobie Coetsee, who by chance had met Winnie on a plane from Johannesburg to Cape Town (to visit Madiba), decided, on the basis of this encounter, to visit with Madiba.  Coetsee was impressed by Madiba’s dignity. Coetsee hints at talks regarding  his release.

1986: The Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, led by General Obasanjo, a former military leader from Nigeria, and Malcolm Fraser, former Australian Prime Minister, start working on a common basis for negotiations between government and the ANC.  President P.W. Botha looks on with acknowledgment, but with reluctance and suspicion.

1986: Declared the “Year of Umkhonto we Sizwe”.  May 1 sees unprecedented strikes around the country.  On 19 May Botha reacts by ordering air strikes on Lusaka, Harare and Gaborone, claiming them to be ANC bases.

1986: 12 June: State of Emergency declared.  Troops moved into the townships.  Defence Minister, Magnus Malan, remarks, “once blacks have toilets they will not want democracy”.  Botha introduces “Third Force” based on book about anti-mafia operations in Italy.

1988: Madiba diagnosed with TB, for first time in 26 years he has Christmas with Winnie, Zindzi and her two children.

1989: Botha suffers another stroke.  Madiba caught up with Winnie’s necklacing comments and the activities of Mandela United, several murders and kangaroo courts.  Her house, “Mansion” is burned down.  The murders of Lolo Sono, Siboniso Tshabalala and Stompie Seipei finally ensnare Winnie’s activities.

Negotiations had commenced with difficulty!

1989: July 5 – Madiba meets Botha for tea.  Botha pours the tea.  Madiba requests the release of all political prisoners.  Botha says “no”.

August 14 – Botha resigns and is replaced by F W de Klerk – chosen for his “solid conservative credentials”.  F W de Klerk acknowledges apartheid to be wrong only because it is “unworkable”, not “unethical”.

October – Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada and four other “life” prisoners released.

December – Mandela meets with de Klerk.

1990: February – Political parties unbanned, State of Emergency partially lifted, media restrictions abolished and some apartheid laws to be repealed.  F.W. announces, “walk through the door and take your place at the negotiating table.  I will unconditionally release Mandela without delay”.

February 11 – Madiba released.  Madiba writes to his Warder of 23 years, “The wonderful hours we spent together during the last two decades end today.  But you will always be in my thoughts”!  Thousands await his release at the prison gates.  Two weeks later meets with Chris Hani, S.A.Communist Party and wins him over, “I think we are going to learn from him that we need to be better South Africans,” says Hani, “to forgive and forget and look forward to building a new South Africa”.

Madiba travels the world.  I meet him at Lanseria on his way to the University of the North to confer degrees, we have breakfast together.

May – Negotiations commence at Groote Schuur, Nationalist Party represented by Afrikaners only.  ANC represented by seven blacks, two whites, one coloured and one Indian.  Madiba 71, de Klerk 53.

June – State of Emergency lifted.  Inkatha struggle for power dominates.  3000 people killed in KZN in a few years up to 1990.

July – Inkatha Freedom Party launched, riots ensue, tension between Madiba and de Klerk  worsens.  August, 500 people killed.  Mandela raises “Third Force” with de Klerk.

September – Madiba and Buthelezi agree to meet, only meet in January 1991 after 100’s of deaths.  Madiba believes de Klerk is turning a blind eye to the ‘Third Force’ and pursuing a “double agenda”.

1991: March – Inkatha hostel impi attacks Alexandria.  One week later police open fire on an ANC demonstration in Daveyton.  Attitudes between Madiba and de Klerk harden.

July – Government admits to funding Inkatha.

July – Mandela elected President of the ANC (72) to replace ailing Oliver Tambo.  Cyril Ramaphosa – Secretary General.

December – CODESA commences.  PAC pulls out, “one settler, one bullet”.  Buthelezi does not attend, but IFP delegation present.  Declaration of Intent launched at CODESA – commits to undivided South Africa.  IFP pulls out on basis that “undivided” means federal system ruled out.  On basis of amendment, IFP signs.  In closing speech de Klerk attacks the ANC.  Madiba infuriated, replies and attacks de Klerk’s ‘dishonesty’.

1992: March – after losing Potchefstroom and Bloemfontein by-elections de Klerk calls for a white referendum on the reform process.  85% of white electorate vote “Yes”.

CODESA 2 commences.  May 15 reaches deadlock.  Madiba and de Klerk appeal for calm.  ANC revolutionaries e.g. Ronnie Kasrils urge mass action on June 16 – with success.

June 17 – Boipatong erupts, Inkatha attacks and kills 45 residents, police called in, 3 people shot.  For months violence continues.

July – Madiba issues a list of 14 demands before talks can resume, de Klerk refuses.

August – Madiba marches on Pretoria, supported by 50 000 supporters.  Ramaphosa says, “today we are at the door of the Union Buildings, next time we will be inside your office”.

September – 70 000 marchers set out from King William’s Town for Bisho, led by Kasrils.  28 marchers are killed. Roelf Meyer and Cyril Ramaphosa keep talks going.

September 26 – Talks recommence, by Feb 1993 two parties in agreement on way forward.  F.W. de Klerk had backed down on many issues.  Government of National Unity proposed with proportional representation in Cabinet.  In five years this would become simple majority-led government.

1993: April – Chris Hani murdered.  Madiba calls for “calm to honour the memory of Chris Hani by remaining a disciplined force for peace”.

Madiba addresses the Nation a number of times, “I am reaching out to every single South African, black and white, from the very depths of my being.  A white man, full of prejudice has brought our nation to the brink of disaster.  A white Afrikaner woman risked her life so that we may bring the assassin to justice.  Now is the time for all South Africans to stand together ….”.

This event signalled, more than any other, how important Madiba was to our future security.

April – Oliver Tambo dies.  Madiba feels alone.  Negotiation pace quickens.

June – Election date agreed, 27 April 1994.  Confidential email circulates in UN Security Council predicting a civil war in the run up to the election with an estimated 1,000,000 deaths.

In four years of negotiations Madiba had moved South Africa into a Constitutional Democracy based on majority rule.  Writes Martin Meredith, “Underpinning the settlement was the extraordinary stature that Mandela had attained … his exemplary lack of bitterness, his insistence on national reconciliation and his willingness to compromise had earned him enduring respect among his white adversaries.  The white community would not vote for him, but they would accept a government under his command”.

Madiba played the ball and not the man – the hallmark of a good negotiator.

1993: December: Madiba and de Klerk receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

1994: 27 April: Twenty million people, South Africans, black and white stand in long queues to cast their vote for freedom.

It is important to understand that while Madiba and de Klerk were the lead negotiators during this time there were many other people and events that formed and integral part of the process – and came close on a number of occasions to derailing the delicacy of the talks.  On both sides there were “forces” that conspired against the process.  It is a tribute to the stature of both these men that, despite these conspiratorial forces, they remained focused on the importance of reaching a settlement and taking South Africa into a peaceful future