Together with his two vice-presidents Thabo Mbeki and F.W. de Klerk, President Nelson Mandela was sworn in standing in front of Pretoria's parliament building on the 10th of May 1994 and said:

Overview:

[Back to top of page]

The "talks about talks" between the ANC and the National Party (NP) during May and August 1990 was the first time that the government and the freedom movement had faced each other across the negotiating table as equals. It was agreed that political prisoners would be released, that those exiled could return and the main apartheid laws would be lifted. In return, the ANC agreed to end all use of violence.

These concessions paved the way for the multi-party talks which followed. Other parties present at these talks were Inkatha, the Democratic Party (DP) and the ten representatives of the homelands. These talks have become known as CODESA I and II (Convention for a Democratic South Africa). An agreement was reached in December 1991 on the basic power-sharing principle; to split power into a legislative, judiciary and executive. In May 1992 CODESA reached decisions on questions of state, provincial and local administration. In addition to this, agreement was also reached on a federal system with nine provinces and the ANC agreed to drop its demands for the nationalization of industry. An interim constitution came into force at the end of 1993, which remained in force until the final constitution had been drawn up.

[Back to top of page]        [Back to overview]

A readiness to resort to violence proved to be a relic of the apartheid era that could not be extinguished in the years that followed. Demonstrations were met with counterdemonstrations, violence with counter violence, blacks against whites, but also blacks against blacks. Chris Hani, General Secretary of the South Africa's Communist Party and next to Mandela one of the nation's most popular politicians, was murdered in front of his house in April 1993 by right extremists. At the same time a sense of disappointment grew among South Africa's blacks about the lack of political and social reform. To avoid a further escalation of the situation, it was decided to hold elections as soon as possible: On the 27 April 1994.

Two new institutions were set up: the Transitional Executive Council (TEC), which could decide nothing without the ANC, and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which was commissioned with organizing a general election in only four months: From the monitoring of registration of political parties to the implementation of the election to the counting of votes and the decision itself, the IEC was responsible for making sure that all was fair and above board.

The election tuned out to be less problematic than had been expected. There were no major incidents and as expected the ANC won the election, gaining 62.7 percent of the votes, followed by the NP with almost 20 percent and Inkatha with almost 10 percent.

On 10 May 1994, Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first black president and its first president as a result of a general election. The country's final constitution was drawn up during the two years that followed.

[Back to top of page]        [Back to overview]

The new constitution (http://www.polity.org.za/govdocs/constitution/saconst.html)

South Africa was given a parliament consisting of 350 members, who were elected using a system of proportional representation. The former Senate was replaced by the National Council of the Provinces, modeled on the Upper House of the German Parliament. The party with the majority of votes would form the government and choose the President. Provincial powers were cut back in favor of central government. The provinces were not given financial sovereignty, but were dependent on Pretoria. Disagreement on three points remained until the end :

South Africa's new constitution was signed by Nelson Mandela on the 10th of December 1996, International Human Rights Day, under clear skies in Sharpeville, where 36 years previously a demonstration against the passport laws had been brutally smashed by the police and the fight for freedom had entered its decisive stage. The constitution came into force on 4 February 1997.

Millions of copies of the new constitution were distributed across the entire country, some even as comics for the benefit of illiterate people. The constitution's preamble is available on this site as a document.

[Back to top of page]        [Back to overview]

Under the heading of "forgive, but not forget", the commission was to listen to both the victims and perpetrators of major human rights violations over a two year period (1996-98) and use their statements to build a comprehensive picture of South Africa's history between the years 1960-94: On the causes of violence, on its extent and on the circumstances which led to the situation. It was also charged with making proposals as to how such violations could be avoided in the future and making suggestions as to how to improve protection of human rights.

For two years daily victim-and-perpetrator hearings were held. These hearings didn't only deal with the "small fish", it also listened to prominent South Africans such as Mandela's ex-wife, Madikizela Mandela, and de Klerk. The hearings exposed atrocities, they uncovered a state hand-out of weapons to Inkatha, in order to inflame black-on-black violence.

Many questions remained unanswered. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission did not become an established institution. Its purpose was to create a new beginning. Reconciliation cannot be achieved by someone even of Desmond Tutu's standing alone, but is something that each individual has to do him/herself and with regard to others.

[The Commission has its own website, which is presented in more detail in our link list. You will find an interview with Desmond Tutu on the document pages.]

[Back to top of page]        [Back to overview]

"I have decided to rest for a while, in order to enjoy the wonderful view and to look back down the long road that I have traveled. Yet I shall only be resting for a short while, because with freedom comes responsibility and I don't want to linger, since I have not yet reached the end of my long road."

Mandela ends his autobiography with these words. Five years after making this statement, Mandela did indeed decide to rest. The rest of the road will be traveled by his successors.

He took charge of a South Africa in which plenty of work remains to be done: There is a lack of housing; many houses have no running water or electricity; unemployment is running at 50 percent and there is a worrying increase in crime.

An economic upturn could help ease the situation. This, however, requires investment. The development of South Africa's tourism industry could become a key earner.

[A speech made by Mbekis can be found on the document pages belonging to this section.]

[Back to top of page]        [Back to overview]

[Back to top of page]

Subjects:  Human Rights  I  Democracy  I  Parties  I  Examples  I  Europe  I  Globalisation  I  United Nations  I  Sustainability

Methods:    Teaching Politics    II    Peace Education    II    Methods