1990: Being Released from Prison
· On Sunday 11 February 1990, the day that Nelson Mandela was being Released from Victor Verster Prison, Both Cyril Ramaphosa &
Trevor Manuel arrived there in Prison to assist him on his release day.
· Nelson Mandela walked out of the Victor Verster Prison while he was holding his Wife Winnie Mandela by hand and also by doing
the Amandla, Matla freedom Salute to the masses, the people of South Africa.
· Nelson Mandela made his 1st Speech, as a free man in Cape Town just a few Hours after being released.
· During His Speech, Nelson Mandela explained that they as the ANC had to consult with the people so that they can receive a Mandate from them.
· Nelson was released from Victor Verster Prison after spending approximately 27 years & 6 Months and a few days in Prison which
is basically 27 and a Half years in Prison.
· Nelson Mandela was also 71 years Old, by the time he was released from Prison, ever since he was arrested when he was 44 years Old, on 5 August in 1962.
1990 to 1993: Life after Prison
· In May 1990, the Negotiations took place over a period of 3 Days at the Groote Schuur Building.
· During Negotiations sessions, President F.W De Klerk, appologised that Separate Development plans were made on paper to develop all
racial groups more or less equally but Racism destroyed this plans.
· Negotiations ended with the Government agreeing to Stop the State of Emergency, except only in KZN Area which had high violence taking place,
this agreement was known as the Groote Schuur Minutes.
· In July 1990, Joe Slovo & Nelson Mandela were having a private conversation & Joe Slovo suggested that they should suspend the
MK armed Struggle voluntarily to can gain the upper hand in the Negotiations.
· Nelson Supported this idea & it was passed during an ANC NEC Meeting to suspend the MK.
· On 6 August 1990, the Apartheid Government and the ANC during negotiations in Pretoria, signed an agreement to suspend the
Armed Struggle, this was known as the Pretoria Minutes.
· In November 1990, the South African Bill of Rights were officially published & shared with the public.
· In December 1990, Oliver Tambo returned to South Africa after being in Exile for more than 30 years.
· From 1990, going into 1991, the Violence between Inkata Freedom Party {IFP} Members & ANC Members had increased.
· So much that every Month about a Hundred people were killed & No one was arrested.
· People reported that the Police & Security forces were assisting the IFP in going to ANC areas & causing the fighting which resulted
in multiple people being Killed.
· On each time Nelson Mandela asked President F.W De Klerk to assist with arresting the culprits, then President F.W De Klerk would answer
by saying that he will investigate and then He will respond.
· But President F.W De Klerk as it turned out never responded or never gave Nelson any report
· Or any Feedback regarding the progress made during those investigations & unfortunately the killings, fighting & mass killings continued.
· On 15 May 1992, CODESA 2, the 3rd Negotiation Talks started taking place, but the negotiations Stalled.
· The ANC decided to use Demonstrations & Strikes to show the government the level of support the ANC had & to also show the
Government that the Majority of the people wanted freedom sooner than later.
· The main Demonstration was set for Tuesday 16 June 1992, which would be the 16th Anniversary of the 16 June 1976 Youth Uprising.
· But one day later on Wednesday 17 June 1992, about 46 People were killed, mostly Women & Children at a place called Boipatong Township,
located in the Vaal area, near Johannesburg.
· The people reported that IFP Members went into the Boipatong Township Area carrying traditional weapons huge knives and
stabbed or hacked their victims to death.
· On Monday the 7 September 1992, during a Protest about 29 People were shot dead, by the Ciskei area Police, in the Eastern Cape
which was controlled by the Apartheid Government’s Traditional Leadership.
· On Saturday the 26 September 1992, President F.W De Klerk & Nelson Mandela held a Meeting discussion & they both
signed an agreement called the Record of Understanding.
· During this Meeting, it was highlighted that the Government had to do something to can prevent the Sharpeville,
Boipatong & Ciskei Massacres from happening again.
· Under the Record of Understanding agreement they agreed to ban the display of Traditional Weapons at Political rallies &
to adopt the formation of a new Constitution.
· In October 1992, Joe Slovo drafted a Document that explained the real importance of establishing a GNU {a Government of National Unity}
on what he called a Sunset Clause.
· a GNU {a Government of National Unity} that allows the ANC to share Government Power with the National Party of the Apartheid government.
· Explaining that even if the ANC won the Elections, they will still need the experience of the current White government employees to train &
assist with running Public Service Delivery in a Democratic Government.
· During February of 1993, both the ANC & the Apartheid government National Party announced that they have agreed to form
a GNU {a Government of National Unity}.
· The Only thing that was left was to set & to announce a date for the 1st National Democratic Elections.
1993 to 1994: Winning Elections
· On Saturday the 10th of April in 1993, Mr. Chris Hani, who was the General Secretary of the SACP & the Chief of Staff of the ANC’s
Military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe, was Assassinated by Janusz Walus.
· Janusz Walus was an immigrant from Poland and he was also a member of the Afrikaner Weerstands Beweging {AWB} which was
opposing a Government of National Unity of the National Party & the ANC.
· Janusz Walus shot & assassinated Chris Hani at his home in a suburb called Dawn Park, in Boksburg Area, in Johannesburg,
Chris Hani died at the age of 50 years.
· Nelson heard the news of Chris Hani’s Assassination when he was still at his newly build house in Qunu.
· Nelson then travelled to a village called Sabalele, in Cofimvaba area, in the Eastern Cape Province to give his condolences to
Chris Hani’s father who was about 82 years old at that time.
· On the same day of Chris Hani’s Assassination, Nelson Mandela made a Public TV broadcast speech at the National TV Station,
at the SABC Studios & Addressed the Nation at night.
· Here is a quote of what Nelson Mandela said during Chris Hani’s Assassination broadcast address:
“We are a Nation in Mourning, our pain and anger is real, Yet we must not permit ourselves to be provoked, by those who seek to deny us the
very Freedom, Chris Hani gave his life for. Let us respond with dignity, in a disciplined fashion. Let us observe April 14th in dignified Memorial
Services & in accordance with the decisions of our Leadership. The date of the Funeral will be announced after the consultation with the Family. We shall lay
to rest the mortal remains of comrade Chris Hani, in a manner befitting a hero of our people. No one will Desecrate his memory
by Rash and Irresponsible actions…... ”
· On Monday the 19th of April in 1993, Chris Hani’s funeral took place & it was hosted at the FNB Stadium in Soweto and
Nelson Mandela gave a speech during that funeral.
· On Saturday the 24th of April in 1993, Mr. Oliver Tambo, passed away after facing complications after he suffered a stroke,
he died 2 weeks (just 14 Days) after Chris Hani was Assassinated.
· After the Death of both Chris Hani & Oliver Tambo, the Apartheid government noticed that the Country was unstable and
they agreed to set a date for the Democratic Elections to can take place on.
· The General Democratic Elections dates were set & scheduled to take place from Wednesday the 27th of April to
Friday the 29th of April 27 of April 1994 (27 to 29 April 1994).
· On Wednesday the 16th of June in 1993, Nelson Mandela gave a Speech during the 17th Anniversary of 1976 Youth Uprising that
was held in Soweto at the Orlando Stadium.
· The ANC prepared for Elections by starting what they called a People’s Forums whereby ANC members travelled around the country &
held Community meetings in Townships, Cities & also in Villages.
· During the People’s Forums ANC Members were to listen to the People’s Hopes, Ideas & complains.
· This is what Nelson promised that the ANC will do before the Elections, Nelson called this forums the Mandate of the People,
on his 1st Speech that he gave to the People after being released from Prison.
· After hosting this Forums they went back to the ANC & they captured this Mandate of the People & they added it to the ANC’s Election Manifesto.
· 27 April 1994, is the 1st day of Voting of the 1st ever democratic elections of South Africa & as from 1995 the date of 27 April
in South Africa was named Freedom Day to be Celebrated every year onwards.
· On 27 April 1994, Nelson Mandela choose to Vote in the Natal Province as a way of trying to show People in Natal that
they also could go and cast their Vote freely.
· Nelson Voted in the same area that the 1st President of the ANC John Dube was buried in, the area is called Inanda, he voted at the Ohlange High School.
· On Monday 02 May 1994, after the 1st Democratic voting ended, Nelson Mandela made a speech after the Provisional results
of the 1994 Elections were released and they showed that ANC had won the Elections.
· ANC won the Elections with a 62.6%, the Apartheid National Party got 20.39% & the IFP got 10.54%
· Then 7 days later on another Monday of 9 May 1994, at Cape Town at the National Assembly Buildings Nelson Mandela
was elected unopposed to be the 1st President of a Democratic South African Government.
· On Tuesday the 10th of May in 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the 1st Democratic President of South Africa,
Thabo Mbeki as the 1st Deputy President & F.W. De Klerk as the 2nd Deputy President.
· The Inauguration Ceremony took place in Pretoria, at the Union Buildings.
· On Tuesday the 24th of May 1994, Nelson Mandela gave the 1st State of the Nation Address, Speech of a Democratic Government
held at the National Parliament Assembly Building in Cape Town, South Africa.