Mandela was caught by the police and sentenced to life imprisonment at Riviona trials from 1962-1963. Mandela stuck to his principals and refused to renounce beliefs at the trial, he also said a powerful speech which greatly increased his national and international fame and raised the profile of ANC and its cause.
“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
This speech gave Mandela immense respect and support from all around the world. Although Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island for 27years he refused to compromise his principals. His fame kept growing and “Free Mandela” became a rallying cry for the anti-apartheid campaigners inside and outside apartheid. The support that Mandela got from the public and the government’s refusal to release him helped motivate the campaign for economic and sporting sanctions. South Africa was a democratic country which relied on its trade and when countries decided to carry out boycotts against them it affected their economic state very badly. Countries refused to buy and sell good to/from South Africa until they decided to end apartheid. Countries refused to let South Africa participate in the Olympics from 1964 onwards. Eventually in the 1980’s virtually no UK teams visited South Africa. Although there were White people who were rich enough not to suffer from the economic sanctions sporting sanctions affected them.
In the late 1980’s international pressure and domestic unrest forced the government to strike a deal offering Mandela freedom only if he gave up politics and condemned militant ANC leaders. He refused to be released early unless ANC was allowed to be legal and the rest of the prisoners were freed. In 1989-90 the government were under too much pressure so they had to give Mandela his way and February 1990 he was released. He was straight away elected as deputy president of the ANC and became the most effective leader. In 1991 Mandela started leading the ANC in negotiations with the government. Mandela was the only man who had the respect and trust of the majority of Black people who would support him, but also who White people felt they could work with. In this sense he was indispensable to the negotiations and the settlements.
Mandela stuck to his principal of one man one vote during the tough and long CODESA negotiations with the government. Mandela had to walk out on more than one occasion to get his way. At the end the government gave way to Mandela’s point and so achieved true democracy. He also reassured the White people that he did not want to take revenge for apartheid or replace anti Black racism with anti White racism.
“Tonight I am reaching out to every single South African, black and white, from the very depths of my being. A white man, full of prejudice and hate, came to our country and committed a deed so foul that our whole nation now teeters on the brink of disaster. A white woman, of Afrikaner origin, risked her life so that we may know, and bring to justice, this assassin. The cold-blooded murder of Chris Hani has sent shock waves throughout the country and the world. …Now is the time for all South Africans to stand together against those who, from any quarter, wish to destroy what Chris Hani gave his life for – the freedom of all of us.”
Mandela did not think of the White Africans as wrong and he did not feel they should be punished. This made a lot White people support and believe in him too. Mandela achieved the constitutional settlement in November 1993; he then led ANC to victory in the elections on 27th April 1994.
President De Klerk came to power in 1990 after ill health had forced him to resign and leave responsibility with President PW Botha. So President De Klerk was a key player regarding the issue of apartheid for a far shorter time than Nelson Mandela. De Klerk came from a famous pro apartheid family and he was expected to try to support and preserve apartheid. However external pressure, economic sanctions, pressure from advisors and business leaders, terrible domestic unrest which threatened civil war and the collapse of eastern bloc communism (which meant the communist linked ANC seemed less of a threat) convinced him of the need to change the apartheid system.
President De Klerk had the insight and courage to take the decision to change the apartheid state but it was really as much one forced on him by circumstances as one he wanted to take. He surprised South Africa when he set out his proposals for change in inauguration speech on 2nd February 1990. De Klerk took the decision to release Mandela and other opposition leaders because of the pressure put on him by Mandela’s supporters. He also won a Whites only referendum to get support for participation in the CODESA talks in 1991.
De Klerk steered the government through these talks against increasing unrest and violence. He possibly stirred up some of the violence to weaken the ANC and strengthen its rivals Incarta. He also tried to get Mandela to agree to a system of sharing power between racial groups to safeguard White rights, but in the end gave in to Mandela’s demand of one man one vote democracy. He agreed to the constitutional settlement with Mandela in 1993. His party (national party) came second in the April 1994 elections. After Mandela was voted President, De Klerk became Deputy President.
After looking at both the men’s contributions in bringing an end to apartheid we can come to a conclusion and say that although President De Klerk played an important role Mandela was more important. De Klerk reacted to the force of circumstances when he decided to go down the road of ending apartheid in 1990. He took a very brave decision which guaranteed South Africa’s future to be much brighter. His decision led to a much more swifter and peaceful end to apartheid because if it wasn’t for him apartheid may have been ended in a much more violent way. He led his party and country through a difficult period of transition around the CODESA negotiations and helped hold the process together. But in many ways after looking at the state the country was in we can say that De Klerk simply reacted to a situation in which apartheid appeared doomed. He had very little choice because the South African economy was getting worse by the day. De Klerk only had the power to put an end to apartheid because he was the President of South Africa. If it was any other man in his position he would have the power to do that himself. Mandela played a greater role because he was not President and still made a bigger impact on people worldwide than the President himself.
Mandela was the man who took the first approach towards ending apartheid. He was involved in as a major player in the struggle against apartheid for a much longer time than De Klerk. Mandela never gave up in what he believed even after he had been arrested. His strong personality gained him support worldwide and put him at the forefront of the ANC. He helped the ANC stay at the forefront of the struggle. Even while in prison his fame spread worldwide and his reputation made him a leading figure in the struggle against apartheid. When the pressure against Apartheid finally made De Klerk look for compromise, Mandela formed a bridge between the two sides. He was the only person whose fame and respect meant that both sides would listen to his views and make deals with him. Because of this he was a vital need in negotiations because his views were considered wisely. Many politicians could have done what De Klerk did but only Nelson Mandela with his immense fame, high reputation and stern determination could have kept the negotiations going. He was determined to get his way and he that is why he achieved full democracy. From the early days before Sharpeville until its final successful conclusion, Mandela was the most outstanding figure in the struggle against and the process of abolition of apartheid. If it was not for Mandela’s determination apartheid may have token a very long time to be abolished or may not have even been abolished at all.
