Word: klerk
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...have foreseen only a few years earlier. ''Our goal is a new South Africa,'' De Klerk told the audience at the Nobel awards ceremony. From the same platform, Mandela proclaimed, ''We can today even set the dates when all humanity will join together to celebrate one of the outstanding victories of our century.'' That victory was not easily won, and the mutual enmity between Mandela and De Klerk may be due in part to battle fatigue. There is another reason. Both men knew that their collaboration would, if successful, lead to political rivalry between them. De Klerk the incumbent...
...prison for the purpose. The two issued a joint communique committing themselves, in general terms, to peace. A month later, Botha, whose authoritarian style had impeded real progress, was nudged out of office by party leaders. Though he was no one's idea of a revolutionary, De Klerk had carefully watched Botha's struggles...
...accommodate irreconcilable forces and had clearly seen that half measures were hardly going to bring domestic peace and renewed economic growth. De Klerk also had a natural interest in his own political future. In 1985 he had asked two consultants what he should do to succeed Botha; they both told him to soften his image on the necessity of preserving apartheid. This, cautiously, he began to do. Upon taking office, De Klerk announced, ''Our goal is a totally changed South Africa.'' In December 1989 he convened a historic bosberaad, or bush council, at which he won his Cabinet's authorization...
...KLERK: In prison, Mr. Mandela, probably had a perception of leaders of the National Party that was proved wrong when he met us. My first meeting with him in 1989 was fairly relaxed. We came to grips with some fundamental things, basically the need to solve the problem of South Africa through negotiation and recognizing each other as main players who would have to take the lead. MANDELA: I found Mr. De Klerk very positive, very bright, very confident of himself, and ready to accommodate the views I expressed. The National Party had announced a ((reform)) program in which they...
...colonial powers weren't worried about black political rights at all. In America racial discrimination was thriving. MANDELA: The government did not want any form of demonstration from blacks, no matter how disciplined, how peaceful. Any demonstration was regarded as a declaration of war against white supremacy. DE KLERK: The A.N.C. would not have negotiated if they thought they could win the armed struggle. Their goal was to take over all power. MANDELA: Many of our staunch comrades, very militant, said that as a result of the armed struggle, many of our people were arrested, and we gave the regime...