'" '. \, v "..' I •
'. ' .: .;, ,') :;; " '.' ". �". v '" �:'r�Y;'!;�hi�:> fi' �;; ,;, . , '�;> �: �, :')_; :::
•
VI
•
o
,
o
By
On Friday, February 2, 1990,
F.W. de Klerk, President of the
white South African minority
regime, lifted the ban on·the
African National Congress, the
Pan-Africanist Congress, the
Black Consciou ness Mo e
meat and other previously
banned anti-apartheid or
ganizations.
President de KIer also an
DOlIlDa::dthat 71 year old Nelson
Mandel., 0 been'
prisoDCd for n year uld
soon be released UDCODditioDal
lye There jubilatio in the
eels of South African de
Klerk's dramatic an-
nounccme seem to set the
for otiatio on the fu-
ture of a new South Africa.
The . . .
tb South .L.!_�by
e. J"\Ua;aD regune were
a direct r of the ustained
strutn* fo ANC
anti- pa . groups wi
Africa, the' ening vise
CCQllM)lllic' • 0 and the
IDCMmtilur pressure of growiDg
lDlC�dicJaaI' ion.
aJKIl(Delr sense these
co .. were a testimony to
courage and visdom
of the Je&eDdary symbol of the
South African freedom strug
gle, Nelsoo R. Mandela.
TI D TIME again
during his long period of mar- .
ccratio M dela might ha�
been released from the humilia
tion of harsh prison labor and
. . if only he would �
a,reed to renounce arme
Urtlln� or if he had abandoned
politic:al goals of the out
lawed African National Con
I
TUDe after time elso Man-
refused to make even the
SllalllCst compromise in the' -
terest of his 0 n personal
freedom, preferring instead to
always keep the cherished goal
of one person 0 vote within a
non-racial society at the
.. forefront of his considerations.
It IS entirely: possible th t
Mandela might have been
released with his old friend and
comrade Walter Sisulu and
other political prisoner in Oc
tober of 1989. But Mandela
elected to remain in prison,
even after 27 long, lonely years
of suffering, until all of the con
ditions which he has laid down
. for his rei ase are met. And
even no , in the face of de
Kler 's concessions, andela
delasec to
only a united front of the
majority of the anti- pertheid
force can overco e ob
vious ploy of divide aDd COD-
quer to sua:e$sfully .
'th the . lftiftlV'itv •
-- -1 regame.
And OYer the prot Of some
·thin the ranks of � an
deJa it dear that even
the cooservatM forces of Chief
G tsha Buthelezi should � a
p ce t the negotiating t e.
It is thi:. kind of healting.
reconciliDg leadership that will
be required in the dift'ercu1'
months ahead, if. the jubilation .
of the mome is to ultimately
bear fruit in tenns of the vision
of a new South Africa. The path
to success is cert inly failled
with enormous b rrier , and
tremendous danger. And yet, it
is precisely the principled,
co':Uase<> and wise way that
Mandel a handled himself
over the years which gives him
the ture aDd political capital
necessary to guide the libera
tion movement through thi
perilous period.
TIl ole orld waits the
relea e of elson M ndela.
When he is released, it will be
comforting to kno that here i
� man who did not compromis
1D order to gain his freedom.
Freedom loving human beings
ewrwheI'e must be determined
to keep the I pressure on the
SoUth African regime during
this crucial period.
Nelson Mandell, the ANC ...
and all the forces within the
liberation movement will need
the leverage of continued sanc
tions, and ong international
p opinion to consummate a
just political and economic
qreement for a new South
�ica. The real struggle has
J begun.
Lo IivC Nelso Mandela!
Victory for the peoples struggle
for freedom in South Africa!
Ron Daniels served as the
Director of the National Rain
bow COtIIition and as the Deputy
Campaign Manager for the
Re.e,enil Iess« Jackson's
� Ctlmpllign '88. He
luIS .".,. IU Pfuident of the
NtIIiotuIJ Bl«kAssemb/y and tU
Chairperson of the National
Black Independent Political
Ptuty. Currently, he serves as
President, 0/ the Institute for
Community O'lfllJUation and
Development in Youngstown
Ohio. He may be contacted �
(216) 746-5747.
.. . .x·."': f:,. :� .... �., : .. �.
iJO fIoll /( II oIJ "'N At' "'II�
S£CIfET ,£RVIC£ FtiND IS FoR."
Yo� DAN! 1/&lIr/
1.-:- -
OK, OK, PR£5IbENr BUSH
WE. WILl.. FR £E' ,MAI'IOELA)··
••• B(ls5/#£5.> /.5 /Y}oRC"
/Jf1PoR7"ANi rllAN HArE./