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The speech that changed 400 years of history
By Tony Mcgregor
On this day 20 years ago, 2 February 1990, South Africa's history was changed irrevocably. In one speech of around 5000 words 400 years of white domination came to an end. Then President F.W de Klerk made the customary speech at the opening of South Africa's parliament, except it was not customary in that instead of the usual platitudes about state security and how whites had to cling to power at all costs and how the government was going to make sure that happened, he opened the floodgates of history and set the country on a radically different patch. In his speech President De Klerk made it clear that the ideology of apartheid had failed, failed utterly, and that unless it was dumped forthwith the country would end up in a racial bloodbath such as had never been seen before. The President shocked the country and the world by announcing that the liberation movements, banned for 30 years, were to be allowed to operate freely again. He started his address to Parliament with these words: “... the growing realisation by an increasing number of South Africans that only a negotiated understanding among the representative leaders of the entire population can ensure lasting peace. The alternative is escalating violence, tension and conflict, which is unacceptable and in nobody's interest. The well-being of all in this country is linked inextricably to the ability of the leaders to come to terms with one another on a new dispensation. No-one can escape this simple truth.” This was in stark contrast to the tone and content of many previous Opening of Parliament speeches and signalled to the listening world something new was coming. However President De Klerk first surveyed the past year, 1989, which he characterised, in terms of foreign affairs, as a year which “will go down in history as the year in which Stalinist Communism
expired.” As a result of the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe, De Klerk said, “Southern Africa now has an historical opportunity to set aside its conflicts and ideological differences and draw up a joint programme of reconstruction.” The President then turned to the question of Human Rights: “The Government accepts the principle of the recognition and protection of the fundamental individual rights which form the constitutional basis of most Western democracies.” This was a major change of direction, as the South African Government had all along refused to sign or ratify the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in spite of the prominent and important role that former South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts had played in the drafting of the Declaration. The next shock was the statement that, “...all executions have been suspended and no executions will take place until Parliament has taken a final decision on the new proposals (proposals that the Cabinet had approved after consultations with the Chief Justice).” This was also a major new direction, as up to that time South Africa was one of the countries with the most executions in the world.
The President then surveyed economic issues, noting certain improvements in the country's economy and the role of the Reserve Bank in handling inflation. Then came the “kicker”, the announcement of the lifting of restrictions and other matters: “The steps that have been decided, are the following:
• The prohibition of the African National Congress, the Pan Africanist Congress, the South African Communist Party and a number of subsidiary organisations is being rescinded.
• People serving prison sentences merely because they were members of one of these organisations or because they committed another offence which was merely an offence because a prohibition on one of the organisations was in force, will be identified and released. Prisoners who have been sentenced for other offences such as murder, terrorism or arson are not affected by this.
• The media emergency regulations as well as the education emergency regulations are being abolished in their entirety.
• The security emergency regulations will be amended to still make provision for effective control over visual material pertaining to scenes of unrest.
• The restrictions in terms of the emergency regulations on 33 organisations are being rescinded.
• The conditions imposed in terms of the security emergency regulations on 374 people on their release, are being rescinded and the regulations which provide for such conditions are being abolished.
• The period of detention in terms of the security emergency regulations will be limited henceforth to six months. Detainees also acquire the right to legal representation and a medical practitioner of their choice.” Then came the announcement that we had all been waiting for, the one which would really, finally, signal the end of apartheid and white domination in South Africa: “I wish to put it plainly that the Government has taken a firm decision to release Mr Mandela unconditionally. I am serious about bringing this matter to finality without delay. The Government will take a decision soon on the date of his release.” February 2, 1990, was truly a day of destiny, a historic day the reverberations of which are still being felt. After 400 years white domination was over, done with gone, consigned to the dustbin of history. All that remained was to heal the scars and bridge the divisions, an unfinished task for all South Africans to finish, even after 20 years. |
 
Cartoon from Afrikaans daily "Beeld". The writing in the cartoon reads: "2 Feb 1990 - the end of white domination"
The first meeting between De Klerk and Mandela (photo the F.WE de Klerk Foundation
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A speech heard around the world, and then the election of South Africa's greatest leader President Nelson Mandela. Can the rainbow nation continue as it is and realise its potential. Regards, peter
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