MANDELA: An Audio History
Part 4 — STATE OF EMERGENCY (1976-1990)

NPR HOST: In the 1970's and 80's, world attention was riveted by the brutal images coming out of South Africa: striking black school children braving bullets and white security forces bulldozing homes in the black townships.

But throughout these years, the person who figured most prominately in South Africa's struggle was invisible.

Here, from producers Sue Johnson and Joe Richman, is Part 4 of Mandela: An Audio History.

(MK SONG)

ANC's RADIO FREEDOM NEWSCASTER: This is Radio Freedom, the voice of the African National Congress.

(MACHINE GUN SOUNDS FROM RADIO FREEDOM STATION ID)

(MK GUERILLA SOLDIERS SINGING)

NEWSREEL: The South African Security Forces believe there are over 4,000 guerillas under training in camps in Mozambique, Angola, and other frontline states. The guerillas sing of the man they regard as their leader, the jailed nationalist, Nelson Mandela. "Show us the way to victory," say the words. "Freedom is in your hands."

(SINGING CONTINUES)

HELEN SUZMAN: In the 80s, black resistance had grown enormously.

AHMED KATHRADA: The mass movement in this country, the political movement, the armed struggle - the world opinion was all turning against the government.

JOE MATTHEWS: Uniquely in the world, the struggle took on the character of a race issue. The issue of humanity itself. It made this a worldwide phenomenon.

(SINGING ENDS)

DR NTHATO MOTLANA: Sometimes I think the fact that he was in prison, and could make no speeches and therefore could make no mistakes, it's as if the government had done us a favor by locking him up all those many years.

NEWSREEL: Fifty thousand birthday cards from the people of Holland were delivered to Nelson Mandela's wife, Winnie. World champion boxer, Mike Tyson, sent his gloves for Mandela...

ALLISTER SPARKS: I think the government was always terrified that he'd die in prison. They were between a rock and a hard place. If he died in prison, not only would he be a martyr but I think they feared that the world would believe they had bumped him off, they had assassinated him in some way. On the other hand, they were afraid to let him out, because they didn't know what would happen.

(PROTEST CHANTS, 'VIVA NELSON MANDELA')

AHMED KATHRADA: By that time, the struggle had advanced a great deal. The people in the millions had just started disobeying apartheid laws. There were not jails enough, there were not police enough.

DR NTHATO MOTLANA: It was great! Because you felt, deep down in your bones, that this couldn't go on for a long time.

HELEN SUZMAN: Many South Africans didn't understand what was going on because they were leading their own segregated, cloistered lives with their black servants and not ever setting foot in the townships. So they didn't know what was going on.

DENNIS GOLDBERG: And if we didn't know, it was because we closed our eyes, because it was very uncomfortable to admit the truth to oneself.

(PROTEST, CLAPPING)

ROELF MEYER: My role as Deputy Minister of Police was to calm the situation down. Because there was the general belief, at least on the side of P.W. Botha at that stage, that if we would control the problem it might go away.

NEWSREEL: Good evening. A general state of emergency has been declared throughout the country. The State President told Parliament that he'd taken this step because he believed the ordinary laws of the land were inadequate to maintain public order in the prevailing circumstances.

P.W. BOTHA (ARCHIVAL SPEECH): The government displayed the utmost patience. I was even accused in some quarters of being weak. Let there be no misunderstanding; South Africa is a developing, stable country and we are determined to remain one.

NEWSREEL: Good evening. Security forces made 113 arrests within the first 12 hours after the state of emergency came into force at midnight last night. Roadblocks and other emergency measures have already been implemented....

(PROTESTS, POLICE ACTION)

DR NTHATO MOTLANA: The police moved around in tanks equipped with jets for tear gas. It was a state of utter chaos in this country! You could see that something had to give.

NEWSREEL: Apartheid opponents have now called for a nationwide week of general protest beginning Monday, because it's been a year of almost continued racial violence.

(SHOUTS)

Pik BOTHA: It was made clear to us by the whole world, including our trading partners, that this could simply not go on. We lost virtually all our trade with America once they introduced that anti-apartheid bill. And within the ranks of the cabinet, a realization grew slowly that somewhere ahead of us is calamity...unless we change, unless we adapt, unless we do something about it.

NEWSREEL: After months of brutal in-fighting, President P.W. Botha was forced from office today in a dramatic cabinet coup. It was a rainy, gloomy day in Cape Town as the man who was head of state here for 11 years was made to step down.

ALLISTER SPARKS: His own cabinet tipped him out. There was a growing feeling that they had to move in some new direction.

NEWSREEL: Botha's successor, F.W. de Klerk, and his associates are faced with convincing a skeptical international community that they have policies for South Africa that will forever bury the concept of apartheid.

(PROTEST SOUNDS END)

F.W. DE KLERK: Before I became president, in the latter part of the 80s, the options were limited. One option was a military option: hard fist, continue, hold on to power, suppress. Another option would be to string things out; to negotiate but really not negotiate. To give a little here, do a little thing there, and to just stretch it out.

HELEN SUZMAN: He knew perfectly well he could stay in power. With the army and police, you can carry on for quite a long time — if you're prepared to shoot, to use violence if necessary. But I don't think de Klerk was prepared to shoot.

(MUSIC)

ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the state president.

(APPLAUSE)

F.W. DE KLERK: The opening speech in the beginning of the year 1990 was the most well-kept secret in my whole political career.

DE KLERK SPEECH (ARCHIVAL): Our country and its people have been embroiled in conflict, tension, and violent struggle for decades. Today, I am able to announce far-reaching decisions. 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 organizations is being rescinded.

(APPLAUSE, SHOUTS, CALL FOR ORDER)

FREDERICK VAN ZYL SLABBERT: It was a total stunning shock. They didn't know this was going to happen.

DE KLERK SPEECH (ARCHIVAL): I wish to put it plainly - that the government has taken a firm decision to release Mr. Mandela unconditionally. I am serious...I am serious about bringing this matter to finality without delay. The time for negotiation has arrived.

NEWSREEL: If I may, I'd like to recap what we've just heard from President de Klerk. He has announced that at 3 P.M. tomorrow, Johannesburg time, Nelson Mandela will finally be released after 27 years behind bars.

(SINGING)

ALLISTER SPARKS: When F.W. de Klerk made that speech, he believed that if you released Mandela, who had become an icon in prison, a living martyr — if you released him, he would quickly be shown to be fallible. Old, out of touch, 'de-mythologized' was the word they used. And all this was wrong.

(CROWD, HELICOPTER, CHEERS)

NEWSREEL: You join us at the Victor Verster Prison, where the excitement is running high — people halfway up trees, standing on their toes, clinging to the wires, trying to get the best possible view. Any moment now...If we can just spot Mr. Mandela...There's Mr. Mandela! Mr. Nelson Mandela, a free man taking his first steps into a new South Africa. (Crowd screams) And a salute from Mr. Mandela, his wife Winnie, greeting the people. His first public appearance in nearly three decades. Seventy-two years old, walking strongly, step-by-step. And one wonders what must be passing through Mr. Mandela's mind at this moment.

NELSON MANDELA: When I saw that crowd, I must confess that I didn't have the courage and the confidence to speak to them. I never imagined that there would be such crowds. It rather took me by surprise. I think it took us more than an hour to go through the crowds just to get to the platform.

NELSON MANDELA SPEECH (ARCHIVAL): ...Today, the majority of South Africans black and white recognized that apartheid has no future... Amandla! ...Amandla! ...Mayibuye!

(SHOUTS FROM CROWD)

(MUSIC)

Produced by Joe Richman/Radio Diaries and Sue Johnson
Copyright Radio Diaries, 2004
All Things Considered (NPR) Broadcast 4/29/2004

You can find biographical information about the people in this story here.