February 5, 1990
By Tim Richards
of the cardinal staff
Following weeks of speculation, South African President F.W. De Klerk announced plans Friday to release anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela during the opening 1990 address to the South African Parliament.
Although no date was announced, Mandela, who has spent almost 28 years in prison, is soon to be freed unconditionally from his cottage home on a prison farm outside of Cape Town.
De Klerk also announced a sweeting line of changes in government policy in his landmark speech. Such major changes include:
-An end to the bans on the African National Congress and more than 30 other groups opposed to apartheid
-The freeing of most of South Africa's political prisoners
-The lifting of restrictions imposed during a state of emergency over a three-year period
-A moratorium on executions
-The lifting of restrictions put on 374 activists after being released from detention
-The limiting of state-of-emergency detentions to six months
-The lifting of emergency restrictions on the news media.
“It's amazing,” said Duncan Chaplin of the Anti-Apartheid Coalition about de Klerk's speech. “I almost couldn't believe it.”
The legalization of the African National Congress was the most substantial announcement, according to Chaplin.
Among other things, it would allow the ANC to hold meetings locally to discuss change. It would also allow them to discuss things openly with Mandela.
Chaplin said that the changes in policy might be linked to the recent unrest in Eastern Europe.
Less funding from Eastern governments could result in the South African government feeling less threatened, he said.
