THEMES IN THIS LESSON:

PREPARING FOR CHANGE
Early talks
Uunbanning of political organisations and release of Mandela

TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY
The GrooteSchuur and Pretoria minute
Codesa I and II
Multi-party negotiations process

THREATS TO NEGOTIATIONS
Threats to negotiations
The birth of the new SA


EXERCISES
A set of activities for students


NEW WORDS
A glossary of new words

Soweto. July 1990. Launch of the SACC. Mandela,
Slovo and Hani.
(Photograph by Graeme Williams © South Photographs)

LESSON SUMMARY

By the end of the 1980s South Africa was in crisis as popular resistance against the Apartheid government reached an all time high. Protest and open defiance were met with increased efforts from the state to crush political dissent. The economy took a battering following trade sanctions and a boycott of South African products along with the draining expense of military control. Independence victories across the African continent added to the tide against the regime. Against this backdrop, F.W. De Klerk became State President in 1989. During the opening session of the parliament, he announced the unbanning of political prisoners and the release of Nelson Mandela, ushering a new era that put South Africa on the road to democracy. The move to democracy while not smooth was nothing short of a miracle in ensuring a peaceful settlement to the country's problems.

RESOURCES FOR THE TEACHER:


LINKS
Useful links to other websites of interest


CURRICULUM
The requirements of the National History Curriculum guidelines


CLASSROOM INDEX
Index of History Classroom lessons and topics


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Send us your feedback or own prepared lesson on this topic