The management of and debate about the democratisation process

The report details the transition of South Africa from white minority rule to a multi-party democracy, highlighting the role of the African National Congress (ANC), the influence of the Harare Declaration, and the multi-party negotiations of CODESA. It describes the establishment of a government of national unity, the public participation process in drafting the final constitution, and the use of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to foster national healing.

• The African National Congress (ANC) shifted its strategy toward negotiations in 1988 after internal debates between those favoring an 'insurrectionary peoples’ war' and those seeking a negotiated resolution, with leadership arguing that negotiations would be a product of mass struggle.
• The 1989 Harare Declaration, produced by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), established essential preconditions for negotiations, including the release of political prisoners, the lifting of banning orders, and the removal of troops from townships.
• The ANC formed the Patriotic Front in October 1991 in Durban, gathering over 400 delegates from 94 organisations to build a broad consensus for a constituent assembly elected on the basis of one-person-one-vote.
• The Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) established a 'Declaration of Intent' committing parties to a united, non-racial, and non-sexist state with a supreme constitution and an independent judiciary.
• The transition culminated in the first democratic election in April 1994 and the establishment of a Constitutional Assembly in May 1994, which consisted of 490 elected representatives.
• The final constitution was developed through an extensive public participation programme that received 1.7 million submissions and resulted in 7 million copies of the document being printed in 11 official languages.
• To achieve national reconciliation without revenge or retribution, South Africa established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which granted pardons based on full disclosure and proof of political motivation.

APA

Ebrahim, E. (n.d.). The management of and debate about the democratisation process. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2006-cd-rom-sa-trans-process/Ebrahim.pdf

Chicago

Ebrahim, Ebrahim. The management of and debate about the democratisation process. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2006-cd-rom-sa-trans-process/Ebrahim.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ebrahim |first1=Ebrahim |title=The management of and debate about the democratisation process |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2006-cd-rom-sa-trans-process/Ebrahim.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ebrahimndmanagement, author = {Ebrahim, Ebrahim}, title = {{The management of and debate about the democratisation process}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2006-cd-rom-sa-trans-process/Ebrahim.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }