About this site

This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. It is the product of almost two decades of research and includes analyses, chronologies, historical documents, and interviews from the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

Multi-Party Nogotiating Forum (MPNF)

The MPNF continued the work of CODESA,* when behind-the-scenes meetings between NP* cabinet minister Roelf Meyer and the ANC's* Cyril Ramaphosa were able to put negotiations back on track. Despite the grumbling of some of the smaller parties that they had not been consulted, a Record of Understanding was signed between the NP and ANC in September 1992 and discussions went ahead at Kempton Park with most political parties sending representatives. The new interim constitution was completed in November 1993. In addition, the NP agreed in principle to the formation of a 5 year Government of National Unity, in which it would have no power of veto over contentious issues. The NP also dropped its insistence on a federal system and conceded that a two thirds majority in the Constitutional Assembly* (CA) would be empowered to ratify the new constitution. It was also decided that an election would take place on 27 April 1994. The ANC's election manifesto was based on its Reconstruction and Development Programme* (RDP), which among other things promised people decent wages, a national security system and redistribution of land.

This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. Return to theThis resource is hosted by the site.