1992 South African apartheid referendum
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Background
On 2 February 1990, in his opening address to parliament, State President F. W. de Klerk announced that the ban on certain political parties such as the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party would be lifted and that Nelson Mandela would be released after 27 years in prison. De Klerk announced that capital punishment would be suspended and that the state of emergency would be lifted. The State President said in his speech to parliament that "the time to negotiate has arrived".
Nelson Mandela was released on 11 February 1990 from
Before the referendum
Prior to the referendum, the governing
In the meantime, negotiations between the government and the
While the Conservative Party claimed that the government did not have the mandate to negotiate with the ANC after its defeat in
Referendum Areas
For the purposes of the referendum South Africa was divided into fifteen areas i.e. regions consisting of groups of House of Assembly electoral divisions.[4][5]
Province | Area | Electoral Divisions |
---|---|---|
Cape Province | Beaufort West[a] | 4 |
Cape Town[b] | 27 | |
East London[c] | 7 | |
George[d] | 4 | |
Kimberley[e] | 6 | |
Port Elizabeth[f] | 8 | |
Natal |
Durban[g] | 14 |
Pietermaritzburg[h] | 6 | |
Orange Free State | Bloemfontein[i] | 7 |
Kroonstad[j] | 7 | |
Transvaal |
Germiston[k] | 13 |
Johannesburg[l] | 21 | |
Pietersburg[m] | 5 | |
Pretoria[n] | 23 | |
Roodepoort[o] | 14 |
Campaign
The
De Klerk told the press that he would interpret a majority "Yes" vote as a mandate to enter into binding agreements with the ANC and other black leaders, without further approval from white voters. He stated that a second referendum to approve the terms of the constitutional settlement would not be necessary unless they differed "substantially" from the government's promises.
The National Party "Yes" vote campaign was of a kind that had never before been seen in South Africa. The National Party held large political gatherings through the country and published advertisements in many national newspapers and bought commercial time in television. It produced massive election "Yes" posters with the message "Yes! Ja! SA" and a poster showing a picture of an AWB member with a gun and with the text "You can stop this man! Vote YES". The Democratic Party had more traditional posters with the message "Ja vir vrede (Yes for peace)".
The "No" campaign, led by Andries Treurnicht warned of "black majority rule" and "ANC communist rule". The Conservative Party also advocated white self-determination and argued that white South Africans had the right to rule themselves. During the campaign, the "No" side also started to advocate an independent homeland, or Volkstaat, for the white minority.
The "Yes" campaign had a significant advantage, as it was backed by the government, the opposition Democratic Party, the media, the international community and the vast majority of commercial and business organisations. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies:
In the referendum campaign the National Party had all the advantages. Television and (in many parts of the country) radio are government controlled. The business community raised money, and most newspapers helped by giving discount rates to the "yes" advertisements… The Conservative Party, with no comparable funds and no access to discounts, was effectively locked out of the mass media, relying on posters to get its message across.[9]
Results
Do you support continuation of the reform process which the State President began on 2 February 1990 and which is aimed at a new Constitution through negotiation?[10]
Choice | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
For | 1,924,186 | 68.73 | |
Against | 875,610 | 31.27 | |
Total | 2,799,796 | 100.00 | |
Valid votes | 2,799,796 | 99.82 | |
Invalid/blank votes | 5,142 | 0.18 | |
Total votes | 2,804,938 | 100.00 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 3,296,800 | 85.08 |
By region
In
Province | Area | For | Against | Total valid votes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
Cape Province | Beaufort West | 18,941 | 61.62 | 11,798 | 38.38 | 30,739 |
Cape Town | 355,527 | 84.88 | 63,325 | 15.12 | 418,852 | |
East London | 66,675 | 78.28 | 18,498 | 21.72 | 85,173 | |
George | 40,075 | 65.39 | 21,211 | 34.61 | 61,286 | |
Kimberley | 33,504 | 54.48 | 27,993 | 45.52 | 61,497 | |
Port Elizabeth | 87,216 | 74.46 | 29,909 | 25.54 | 117,125 | |
Natal |
Durban | 204,371 | 85.03 | 35,975 | 14.97 | 240,346 |
Pietermaritzburg | 66,500 | 75.98 | 21,023 | 24.02 | 87,523 | |
Orange Free State | Bloemfontein | 58,066 | 58.60 | 41,017 | 41.40 | 99,083 |
Kroonstad | 54,531 | 51.54 | 51,279 | 48.46 | 105,810 | |
Transvaal |
Germiston | 164,025 | 65.38 | 86,844 | 34.62 | 250,869 |
Johannesburg | 324,686 | 78.30 | 89,957 | 21.70 | 414,643 | |
Pietersburg | 37,612 | 43.02 | 49,820 | 56.98 | 87,432 | |
Pretoria | 287,720 | 57.37 | 213,825 | 42.63 | 501,545 | |
Roodepoort | 124,737 | 52.44 | 113,145 | 47.56 | 237,882 |
Aftermath
The day after the referendum President de Klerk said "Today we have closed the book on apartheid" as he celebrated his 56th birthday. Nelson Mandela said that he was "very happy indeed". The Cape Times news bill was dominated by the large text "IT'S YES".[12]
The alliance between the Conservative Party and the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging may have harmed the CP and in some cases even scared away voters to the "Yes" side. Some conservative and militant defenders of apartheid boycotted the referendum,[13] although turnout was at record levels, reaching above 96% in some areas.[1]
De Klerk and his government could now claim that the whites were in favour of universal suffrage and that they had a clear mandate to negotiate with the African National Congress. The ANC had initially disapproved the referendum, mainly because whites were the only ones allowed to vote. But since a "No" vote would not only risk the negotiations but also increase the political chaos in the country, and since it had no reason to advocate that whites oppose the negotiations, the ANC advocated a "Yes" vote.[14]
Right-wing groups criticised the referendum and accused the government of
On 27 April 1994, South Africa held its first non-racial elections, which resulted in a huge victory for the African National Congress and made Nelson Mandela the first black President of South Africa.
See also
- Convention for a Democratic South Africa
Bibliography
- Nelson Mandela, ISBN 0-316-54818-9(paperback, 1995)
References
- ^ a b 1992: South Africa votes for change BBC News
- ^ Elections in South Africa African Elections Database
- ^ "1992: South Africa votes for change". 18 March 1992. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ "No. R. 742: Regulations made under the Referendums Act, 1983". Government Gazette. 320 (13805): 23. 29 February 1992.
- ^ "Notice 221 of 1992: Notice of appointment of referendum officers in terms of Section 3 (2) of the Referendums Act, 1983 (Act No. 108 of 1983)". Government Gazette. 321 (13806): 8. 2 March 1992.
- ^ a b Kraft, Scott (25 February 1992). "De Klerk's Question for Whites: 'Do You Support Reform?'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ Wren, Christopher S. (19 March 1992). "South African Whites Ratify De Klerk's Move to Negotiate with Blacks on a New Order". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ de Klerk, FW (16 March 2012). "20 years after the 1992 referendum" (Press release). Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ Schönteich, Martin; Boshoff, Henri (2003). "Chapter 2: Evolution of the white right". 'Volk', Faith and Fatherland: The Security Threat Posed by the White Right. Institute for Security Studies. p. 22. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
- ISBN 9780415468091.
- ^ "Notice 294 of 1992: Result of the referendum held on 17 March 1992". Government Gazette. 321 (13889): 2. 27 March 1992.
- ^ FW de Klerk issues posthumous apology for pain of apartheid, The Guardian, 11 November 2021
- ^ Toward Democracy Library of Congress Country Studies
- ^ "The 1992 Whites only referendum 'For' or 'Against' a negotiated constitution - South African History Online". sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ 1992: South Africa votes for change BBC News
Notes
- ^ Beaufort West, Ceres, Graaff-Reinet and Prieska
- ^ Bellville, Caledon, Cape Town Gardens, Claremont, Constantia, De Kuilen, Durbanville, False Bay, Green Point, Groote Schuur, Helderberg, Maitland, Malmesbury, Namaqualand, Paarl, Parow, Piketberg, Pinelands, Sea Point, Simon's Town, Stellenbosch, Tygervallei, Vasco, Walvis Bay, Wellington, Worcester and Wynberg
- ^ Albany, Aliwal, Cradock, East London City, East London North, King William's Town and Queenstown
- ^ George, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn and Swellendam
- ^ De Aar, Gordonia, Kimberley North, Kimberley South, Kuruman and Vryburg
- ^ Algoa, Humansdorp, Newton Park, Port Elizabeth Central, Port Elizabeth North, Sundays River, Uitenhage and Walmer
- ^ Amanzimtoti, Berea, Durban Central, Durban North, Durban Point, Greytown, Pinetown, Port Natal, South Coast, Umbilo, Umfolozi, Umhlanga, Umhlatuzana and Umlazi
- ^ Klip River, Mooi River, Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg North, Pietermaritzburg South and Vryheid
- ^ Bloemfontein East, Bloemfontein North, Bloemfontein West, Fauresmith, Ladybrand, Smithfield and Winburg
- ^ Bethlehem, Heilbron, Kroonstad, Parys, Sasolburg, Virginia and Welkom
- ^ Benoni, Boksburg, Brakpan, Brentwood, Edenvale, Geduld, Germiston, Germiston District, Kempton Park, Modderfontein, Nigel, Primrose and Springs
- ^ Alberton, Bezuidenhout, Bryanston, Hillbrow, Houghton, Jeppe, Johannesburg North, Johannesburg West, Langlaagte, Meyerton, North Rand, Overvaal, Parktown, Randburg, Rosettenville, Sandton, Turffontein, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging, Westdene and Yeoville
- ^ Lydenburg, Pietersburg, Potgietersrus, Soutpansberg and Waterberg
- ^ Barberton, Bethal, Brits, Delmas, Ermelo, Gezina, Hercules, Innesdal, Koedoespoort, Middelburg, Nelspruit, Pretoria Central, Pretoria East, Pretoria West, Rissik, Roodeplaat, Rustenburg, Standerton, Sunnyside, Verwoerdburg, Waterkloof, Witbank and Wonderboom
- ^ Carletonville, Florida, Helderkruin, Klerksdorp, Krugersdorp, Lichtenburg, Losberg, Maraisburg, Potchefstroom, Randfontein, Roodepoort, Schweizer-Reneke, Stilfontein and Ventersdorp