road to democracy essay download

Oh Gosh My Grades

History: south africa’s road to democracy (1990-1994).

This post is all about the process of getting to be a democratic country that SA went through between 1990 and 1994. It is not in full depth but will definitely give you the basic understanding that you can then build on.

The first thing to note is that this journey was not an easy one for the leaders that were involved. They had to get through negotiations with challenges such as violent attacks and lack of compromise to face. Since we see that SA is democratic now, it is clear that the leaders were able to get through the challenges.

One of the largest obstacles was the TOWNSHIP VIOLENCE that occurred during the process of negotiations. The Sebokeng Massacre was the first violent event and this took place after Nelson Mandela was released from prison. Next was the Katlehong Massacre (10/03/1990) which started out as a protest march against the rent and electricity prices that had to be paid and the taxi violence that they faced; 28 people were injured. The Boipatong Massacre was very serious- 46 people were killed and many were injured. This event took place on the 17/06/1990 at one of the ANC strongholds. 300 IFP (Inkatha Freedom Party) members carried arms and shot and hacked their way through Boipatong. The police was warned of this event beforehand but did not make any effort to intervene and the ANC accused this all as a 3rd force* involvement because IFP supporters supposedly arrived in police and government-owned vehicles. This event was so serious that it actually led to the failure of CODESA II. The next tragic event was the Bisho* Massacre on the 10/09/1992 where 28 people were killed and 200 injured. Approximately 70 000 ANC supporters participated in a protest march against Gqozo. He then sent in the army which opened fire on all participants of the march. In KwaZulu Natal , one SA province, the most violence took place. The State of Emergency therefore remained here in 1990 even after being lifted in many other provinces due to the threat that it was perceived to be and the government wanted “attempted to maintain control”. Although violence reigned through the province as a whole, with more people dying here than any other place, some of the hotspots were Port Shepstone, Kwamashu and Richmond.

*Bisho is a town in the Ciskei which was declared an independent homeland, separate from South Africa

*This 3rd force involvement at Boipatong was investigated after Apartheid ended and it was found that there was evidence of this.

A SUMMARY OF THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS & OTHER EVENTS AT THE TIME

PW Botha & Nelson Mandela
They discussed the unbanning of the ANC and Mandela’s release
National Party and the ANC
They met to try and come to a decision on ending the violence that was occurring.
Both parties agreed that they needed to remove the obstacles that were preventing them from negotiating effectively.
This laid the foundation for the future negotiations.
All political prisoners were released & exiled people could return.
The State of Emergency was lifted everywhere except KZN.
Involved the ANC & NP again
The result was the suspension of the armed struggle (Mkonto we Sizwe (MK))
This compromise showed that Nelson Mandela renounced violence as a means to achieve peace.
27 political parties were involved
Those not involved were: the IFP, PAC and CP
The parties that participated signed an agreement to ensure that future negotiations would occur.
This paved the path to CODESA I.
Involved 19 political partied (IFP and PAC still not involved)
Reforms were negotiated
The aim was to make a multiracial transitional government possible in the future
DECLARATION OF INTENT was signed which meant that they had to meet again at a later stage in order to change the political system that they were under.
Involved the same groups as CODESA I
Was supposed to be a continuation of CODESA I but it ended up failing because of majority rule, power sharing, regional powers and the ending of violence.
The ANC and its allies walked out of the negotiations and said that they would start Rolling Mass Action so that more pressure would be placed on the shoulders of the NP.
The government was trying to get out of allowing retribution.
The failure of these negotiations led to the RECORD OF UNDERSTANDING being signed
Agreement between Cyril Ramaphosa & Roelf Meyer
Ensured that the negotiation process would continue between the ANC and the NP regardless of the threat of the 3rd force and township violence.
This was proposed by Joe Slovo
Power sharing were to be done for a fixed time period
Involved amnesty clause for security officers
Any party with 5% of the vote would be proportionally represented in the interim government discussed in the following event.
The ANC and NP were working together
It was agreed that there should be a 5 year term (1994-1999) where all parties that get more than 5% of the votes in the general elections would be proportionally represented. This is called a Government of National Unity.
He was a popular leader
Former commander of the MK (Mkhonto we Sizwe)
Assassinated in his driveway in Boksburg by Janus Waluz
An Afrikaans woman who lived across the road from him reported the crime and gave the numberplate details of the assassin.
The assassin and his accomplice Clive-Derby Lewis were arrested
His assassination sparked mass violence nationwide
Mandela gave a public speech on TV that promoted the fact that it was a white, Afrikaans woman that reported the crime and this prevented the possibility of civil war taking place
Initially created by the participants at CODESA I & continued talks until they came to a consensus
Allowed for the Government of National Unity which was the interim government proposed for the ‘new SA’
They set a date for the first democratic elections
Everyone voted twice- for the National Assembly and then for the Provincial Assembly
ANC won 62.65% of the votes which meant that they got 252 seats
The NP won 20.25% if the votes and thus got 81 seats

THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF THIS WHOLE PEACE PROCESS

Early negotiations
Groote Schuur Minute
Pretoria Minute
National Peace Accord
Record of Understanding (after CODESA II)
Sunset Clause
Further negotiations
The violence in townships
The involvement of the 3rd force
The right wing opposition
White opposition
Black extremists such as the PAC, IFP, AZAPO
Chris Hani’s assassination

So I hope that this has helped all of you a bit, I might go into a bit more detail on some of these events later.

ROAD TO Democracy Essay Sample

Union high school.

Recommended for you

Students also viewed.

road to democracy
Ideas OF RACE IN THE LATE 19th AND Early 20th Centuries grade 11 history essay
Boack consciousness prt2
M 26 7 - Notes
Toaz - none
Black Power Movement

Preview text

Road to democracy essay sample (talks/negotiations).

NOTE:your introduction and conclusionis highlighted with green colour lines of arguments are highlighted withred colour. (Make sure your introduction is no longer than 5 pages) One would totally agree with the statement that it was leadership ,negotiations and compromises among various leaders that ensured that South Africa become a democratic state. For example, Nelson Mandela and De Klerk worked together including of her organisations to bring democratic SouthAfricain 1994. In1981,FW De Klerk replaced PW Botha as a state president of South Africa and immediately made drastic changes by unbanning political parties and release political prisoners. De Klerk made an announcement for the release of Nelson Mandela on 11 February 1990 was a huge step taken by De Klerk and it gave people hope that the apartheid was coming to an end. (Make sure your background is not more than 5 lines). The National Party(NP) and African National Congress(ANC) delegation met at two locations to discuss the way on how they will work together towards the democratic South Africa. The first meeting was held in 2 May1990 at the official resident house of Groote Schuur and it was called the Groot Schuur Meeting. In this meeting both ANC and NP agreed on ending violence which were occurring in the country and to work together towards the process of negotiations or talks to bring a democratic South Africa second meeting were held at Pretoria on 6 August 1990 which led to an agreement called the Pretoria Minutes the ANC government agreed that they will suspend the armed struggle and the NP government agreed to end the state of emergency major law were removed Group Areas Act and Registration Population were also removed convinced countries that imposed sanctions to S and boycotts to stop them,the leadership and negotiations and compromises among various leaders ensured that South Africa become a democratic country in1994. Although,the violence did not stop in the country between Inkandla Freedom Party(IFP)and ANC IFP supporters attacked ANC on commuter trains and led into almost 573 deaths. It was emerged that the NP government handed weapon to IFP supporters to eliminate ANC supporters created a huge distrust between ANC and IFP including NP violence occurred in Sebokeng in hostels when the IFP attacked ANC strong hold and almost 30 people died,another violence occurred in ZonkizizweTownship in Germistonin Gauteng between supporters of the IFP and the ANC ongoing violence between the ANC and IFP members led into a Seven Day Warat Pietermarisburg (PMB).Therefore,the violence and uncertainly that confronted South Africa in the early1980s almost delayed the process of negotiations. Moreover,the formal negotiations occurred on 20December 1990 at Convention for Democratic South Africa(CODESA1)at Trade Work Centreat Kempton Park political organisations including UNO and common wealth though talks sometimes broke down but the Declaration of Intent was signed was agreed that South Africa should be an undivided country from apartheid, discrimination and all other forms of prejudices also led into accountability of a meeting by four groups that were preparing for the future meeting which was CODESA2 which were to be held in May2 PAC and PC boycotted against the CODESA IFP and the Independent Bophuthatshwana did not sign it because the irrequest for an extra delegation for the Zulu King was refused, compromises among various leaders ensured that South Africa become a democratic state in1994. Furthermore,DeKlerk called for a white only referendum on1991. Here DeKlerk wanted to see if the white people were still with him from the negotiations, he had started making from 1990 to change South Africa majority voted positive and it was clear that he should continue gave people hope that apartheid was coming to an end,the compromises also ensured that South Africa become a democratic country in1994.

CODESA2 occurred on May1991 was agreed that the SABC should presents the neutral view of the negotiations on televisions NP and ANC did not agree on major power sharing like power sharing,majority rule and regional powers NP still wanted a major place from the government and the ANC did not admit on that ANC and NP did not come into consensus solution on how they will end the violence in South Africa. As a results,ANC and COSATU walked out of the negotiations and called for a mass rally to force government to compromise,it was leadership,negotiations and compromises among various leaders that ensured that South Africa become a democratic state. Even though the official negotiations had ended but the unofficial negotiations continue between Cyril Ramaphosa and Roef Meyer. The Record of Understanding was signed between Cyril Ramaphosa of ANC and Roef Meyer of the NP committed and encouraged South Africa to work together again towards the negotiations,Joe Slovo came up with Sunset Clause on April 1993 Sunset Clause allowed the National Party government until 2000 also protected the security jobs for whites people for more than 10years, the commitment and compromises among various leaders ensured that South Africa become a democratic country in 1994. Moreover, the violence did not end between IFP and ANC ANC attacked the squatter camps of the ANC near the township of Boipatong in the Gauteng and almost 49people died was said that a white man was the one who handed over the Force Defence Agency to cause violence and chaos ANC called for a march to the Cickel to protests against homeland leaders almost 79 people died and 200 people got injured when they were trying to break through the police barriers assassination of Chris Hani almost stopped the negotiations process of the elections Hani was a General Secretary of the Communist Party(CP) and he was assassinated on1993 by members of the Military Wink was a violence and chaos in a country after his assassination. DeKlerk realised he could not deal with this anymore and called for Nelson Mandela to address the issue. Mandela addressed that on national television that there must calm down and stop fighting each other,thev iolence and uncertainty that confronted South Africa in the early 1980s almost delayed the process of negotiations. Moreover, the Multi talks began on 1993 April1. It was said that the date of the election was going to be 27thApril1994 on this meeting which was held at World Trade Centre. Furthermore, the AWB and Volk front stormed the World Trade Centre attempt to disturb the negotiations vandalised the entrance and threatened delegation AWB was killed by the South African Defence Force APPLA opened on fire on St James Church and killed 11 people IFP marched to Shell House and was killed by ANC security led to a Shell House Massacre DeKlerk, Mandela and Buthelezihada meeting led to IFP joining the negotiations finally the election held free and fairly. ANC won the elections and Nelson Mandela became the first president of South African Democratic Country election were held on 27 April 1994. DeKlerk and Thabo Mbheki became deputy president. Therefore, the compromises, negotiations and leadership ensured that South Africa become a democratic country in 1994. To conclude, it was leadership,negotiations and compromises among various leaders that ensured that South Africa become a democratic state in 1994. For example, Nelson Mandela and De Klerk compromised so much working with other organisations to bring democracy in South Africa. (Your conclusion must be less than5lines). MAKE SURE YOU WRITE LINES OF ARGUMENTS ON EACH AND EVERY PARAGRAPH.