Guest: Sello Lediga – Author
A ground-breaking book by Sello Lediga that looks at the “secret talks” between the ANC and National Party from 1985 until the un-banning of the national liberation movements in 1990 opening up a space for multiparty negotiations. The book ends with Nelson Mandela’s exit from the presidency of the country in 1999…
In the realm of historical literature, there are authors who illuminate the past, and then there are those who shape the very fabric of our understanding of history. Sello Lediga, a South African writer, historian, and social activist, undoubtedly belongs to the latter category. With the release of his highly anticipated book, “Dodging the Civil War Bullet: Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s Transition from Apartheid to Democracy,” Sello will take a center stage in the world of academic discourse and historical storytelling. This new book will leave a lasting impact of his contributions to South African history and beyond.
Inspired by an indefatigable quest to understand events and processes that led to the end of apartheid and the birth of a democratic South Africa, this book is an endeavor to shed light on the resolution of one of the most intractable political conflicts of the twentieth century. With civil war staring the country in its face, the key protagonists from the apartheid government and the liberation movements engaged in secret and formal talks that averted certain civil war in the country.
Sometime in the 1980s the apartheid state found itself confronted with full revolt and rebellion by the black townships. At international level, the world is united in its imposition of sanctions against the increasingly bankrupt racist regime.
The choice was simple: talk to the ANC or face civil war. The ‘Pretoria regime’ began to explore the possibility of a negotiated settlement with prisoner Nelson Mandela and the ANC in exile. The secret talks initiated between the two titans of the South African conflict gained momentum and ultimately matured into open, multi-party talks that lead to the end of apartheid and the birth of a democratic state. In all this political drama, the towering figure of Nelson Mandela is central to the resolution of the conflict. The 1994 first ever democratic elections propel the ANC to power with Mandela as president.
