This Day in History: June 20, 1988
The South African government presented a promotion of Constitutional Development Bill which proposed an advisory and consultative council, designed to give blacks a voice in government. This occurred at the twilight of P.W. Botha’s career as both the South Africa and National Party leader. The following year Botha was succeeded by FW de Klerk who shortly after taking office announced his policy of reform. De Klerk hoped to create a suitable climate for negotiations which would end apartheid and bring about a new Constitutional dispensation for South Africa, based on the principle of one person, one vote. In December 1989, de Klerk met with the imprisoned leader of the African National Congress (ANC), Nelson Mandela. On 2 February 1990, de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). On 11 February Mandela was released.