South African History Online

Address by Nelson R. Mandela to the plenary session of the Multi-Party
negotiations process

World Trade Centre, Kempton Park, 17 November 1993

Honourable Justices,
Leaders and Members of all delegations present here
today.

We have reached the end of an era. We are at the beginning of a new era.

Whereas apartheid deprived millions of our people of their citizenship, we
are restoring that citizenship.

Whereas apartheid sought sought to fragment our country, we are re-uniting
our country.

The central theme of the Constitution for the Transition is the unity of our
country and people.

This Constitution recognises the diversity of our people. Gone will be the
days when one language dominated. Gone will be the days when one religion was
elevated to a position of privilege over other religions. Gone will be the days
when one culture was elevated to a position of superiority and other denigrated
and denied.

We emerge from a conflict ridden-society; a society in which colour, class
and ethnicity were manipulated to sow hatred and division. We emerge from a
society which was structured on violence and which raised the spectre of a
nation in danger of never being able to live at peace with itself.

Our agreements have put that era behind us. This shameful past dictates the
crucial need for a Government of National Unity. We are firmly on the road to a
non-racial and non-sexist democracy.

For the first time in the history of our country, on April 27th, 1994, all
South Africans, whatever their language, religion and culture, whatever their
colour or class, will vote as equal citizens.

Millions who were not allowed to vote, will do so. I, too, for the first time
in my short life, will vote.

There are some people who still express fears and concerns. To them we say:
you have a place in our country. You have a right to raise your fears and your
concerns. We, for our part, are committed to giving you the opportunity to bring
forth those views so that they may be addressed within the framework of
democracy.

The democratic order gives to each and all of us the instruments to address
problems constructively and through dialogue.

Le ke yona indawo, kufuneka icace oku kwebhokwe emhlophe ihamba ehlungwini:
Embusweni wentando yabantu, ngabantu, ayamkelekile konke into yokuba iqaqobana
labantu linganako ukunyazelisa intando neemfuno zalo, ngokwenjenjalo lisengele
phantsi, lidobelela iimfanelo namalungelo akhe namnye ummi weli lizwe.

(Let this, however, be clear: there is no place in a democracy for any
community or section of a community to impose its will at the expense of the
fundamental rights of any other citizen.)

Ek will weereens sekere groepe in die Afrikaner gemeenskap aanspreek: Almal
van u is deel van die Suid-Afrikaanse nasie. Almal van u is gelyke burgers van
die nuwe Suid-Afrika. U het die volste reg tot u eie taal, godsdiens en kultuur.
Hierdie regte sal u nie ontneem word nie.

Let us all grasp the opportunities that democracy offers. Democracy has no
place for talk of civil war. Those who persist with such threats do not care for
human life.

Democracy is about empowerment. Now together we can begin to make the
equality of education the right of all our children; to begin to remove
homelessness, hunger and joblessness; to begin to restore land to those who were
deprived by force and injustice; to break the cycle of stagnation in our
economy.

Together, we can build a society free of violence. We can build a society
grounded on friendship and our common humanity - a society founded on tolerance.
That is the only road open to us. It is a road to a glorious future in this
beautiful country of ours. Let us join hands and march into the future.