February 2
De Klerk Unbans ANC, Paving Way for Mandela Release
South African President F.W. de Klerk surprised observers by announcing the unbanning of the African National Congress and other opposition groups in a February 2, 1990, address to Parliament, while promising the release of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners.
Summary
South Africa had endured decades of apartheid rule enforcing racial segregation and suppressing opposition groups like the African National Congress. President F.W. de Klerk, who assumed office in 1989 amid growing international pressure and domestic unrest, recognized the need for reform. On February 2, 1990, in a landmark address to Parliament, de Klerk announced the unbanning of the ANC and other organizations, the release of political prisoners including Nelson Mandela, and the lifting of restrictions on anti-apartheid activities. The speech signaled the beginning of negotiations to dismantle the apartheid system. Mandela walked free nine days later after 27 years in prison.
Context
Apartheid policies had structured South African society along racial lines since the National Party took power in 1948, enforcing segregation through laws that restricted movement, education, and political participation for the Black majority. The African National Congress, founded in 1912 as a nonracial liberation movement, was banned in 1960 following the Sharpeville massacre, driving its leaders underground or into exile and prompting armed resistance through its military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe. Nelson Mandela, a key ANC figure, was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 alongside other Rivonia trial defendants.
What Happened
On February 2, 1990, de Klerk addressed the opening session of Parliament in the Houses of Parliament in Cape Town. After covering foreign relations, human rights, and economic matters, he announced the lifting of bans on the ANC, the Pan Africanist Congress, the South African Communist Party, and related organizations. He also declared a moratorium on the death penalty, the release of political prisoners including Mandela, and the easing of some restrictions under the state of emergency. Reports noted audible gasps from the parliamentary audience at the scope of the changes.
Aftermath
Mandela walked free from Victor Verster Prison on February 11, 1990, after 27 years of imprisonment, and addressed large crowds in Cape Town. The government and the ANC soon began exploratory talks that led to the formal end of the state of emergency later that year and the establishment of the Convention for a Democratic South Africa in 1991 to negotiate a new constitution.
Legacy
De Klerk's announcement marked the start of a negotiated transition that dismantled apartheid without descending into full-scale civil war. It culminated in South Africa's first multiracial elections in April 1994, won by the ANC, and Mandela's inauguration as president the following month. The events earned de Klerk and Mandela the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize and have been cited as a rare example of elite-driven reform leading to democratic consolidation in a deeply divided society.
Why It Matters
De Klerk's announcement initiated the formal end of apartheid, leading to multiracial elections in 1994 and the establishment of a democratic South Africa under Mandela's presidency. It transformed the country's international standing, ending sanctions and isolation while inspiring global movements against racial injustice. The transition avoided widespread civil war and set a model for negotiated political change in divided societies.
Related Questions
Why did de Klerk unban the ANC in 1990?
De Klerk acted amid growing international isolation, economic sanctions, and domestic violence, concluding that continued repression would lead to greater instability and that negotiations offered the best path forward.
What organizations were unbanned on February 2, 1990?
The African National Congress, Pan Africanist Congress, South African Communist Party, and several affiliated groups had their bans lifted.
How soon after the speech was Mandela released?
Nelson Mandela was released from prison nine days later, on February 11, 1990.
What followed the unbanning announcement?
The government and ANC entered negotiations that produced a new constitution, ended the state of emergency, and led to multiracial elections in 1994.
Did the transition avoid major violence?
While political violence continued in some areas during negotiations, the process prevented full-scale civil war and achieved a relatively peaceful transfer of power.
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Free Speech Atlas: De Klerk Unbans ANC, Paving Way for Mandela Release connects to speech, publishing, press freedom, or censorship history.
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Sources
- On This Day in History – February 2, Time and Date AS. Accessed 2026-07-08.
- February 2, Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed 2026-07-08.