Mandela's Talks with the National Party
In response to the mass violence in South Africa, and the government appearing to be doing nothing about it, secret negotiations were put into place. The first formal and one of the more important negotiations was CODESA (Convention for a Democratic South Africa). CODESA was a multiracial and multi-party negotiation starting in 1991. The African National Congress (ANC) and the Nationalist Party (NP) were major parts of CODESA. The ANC (the organization in which Nelson Mandela was in) wanted a single transition for power, while the NP (in which F. W. De Klerk was in) wanted two transitions to power. CODESA dealt with the issues of creating a new constitution, the future of homelands, a new interim government, the electoral system, and the time implementation of all of this.
CODESA’s success led to the creation of more negotiations. CODESA 2 was started in 1992. Both the ANC and the NP were part of CODESA 2. In June 1992 the Boyton Massacre and the 1992 Bisho Massacre caused a lot of chaos, and the ANC blamed the government. After blaming the government the ANC dropped from the CODESA 2 negotiations, causing them to fail. One of the negotiations discussed was called the Records of Understanding. The Records of Understanding dealt with political prisoners, lethal weapons, constitutional assembly, interim government, and mass action. These talks were major turning points for the end of Apartheid.
CODESA’s success led to the creation of more negotiations. CODESA 2 was started in 1992. Both the ANC and the NP were part of CODESA 2. In June 1992 the Boyton Massacre and the 1992 Bisho Massacre caused a lot of chaos, and the ANC blamed the government. After blaming the government the ANC dropped from the CODESA 2 negotiations, causing them to fail. One of the negotiations discussed was called the Records of Understanding. The Records of Understanding dealt with political prisoners, lethal weapons, constitutional assembly, interim government, and mass action. These talks were major turning points for the end of Apartheid.