Negotiating with Apartheid

The 1985 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, meeting in the Bahamas, established an Eminent Persons Group to encourage dialogue towards the establishment of a non-racial and representative government in South Africa. The Group visited South Africa and met with leaders of the front-line states, government ministers and black leaders in South Africa and African National Congress leaders in exile. Its report was published as a Penguin Special in June 1986, reputedly the fastest book ever published and an immediate best-seller. The report painted a damning picture of apartheid and galvanised calls for full economic and financial sanctions. It demonstrated the distinctive strengths of the Commonwealth in world affairs. Key Words: CommonwealthEminent Persons GroupapartheidSouth AfricasanctionsCongress of South African Trade UnionsUnited Democratic FrontSouth African Defence ForcesGleneagles AgreementSharpville MassacreNassau AccordSpecial Commonwealth Summit Notes 1. This was the view of John Battersby, South African journalist, speaking at a Witness Seminar on the 1986 EPG held at London University, 11 June 2011. 2. Among the anniversary events held in 2011 were: Introductory Seminar, 11 May, London University; Witness Seminar, 11 June, London University; Public Lecture by Rt Hon. Malcolm Fraser (EPG Co-Chair) on 28 October at Murdoch University, Perth, WA. 3. Final Communiqué, Meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers, 8–18 March 1961, London. 4. Gleneagles Agreement on sporting contact with South Africa, 15 June 1977, London. 5. CHOGM Final Communiqué, Lusaka 1979, and the Lusaka Declaration on Racism and Racial Prejudice, 7 August 1979, Lusaka, Zambia. 6. The Commonwealth Accord on Southern Africa, 20 October 1985, Lyford Cay, Nassau, Bahamas. 7. Ibid. 8. Letter from Prime Minister Thatcher to President P. W. Botha, 31 October 1985, Aluka archive. 9. Ibid. 10. Quoted in 'Commonwealth Currents', August 1986 (Commonwealth Secretariat). 11. 'Mission to South Africa', the Commonwealth Report (London: Penguin Books), June 1986. 12. Interview with Sir Shridath Ramphal by the author, 12 June 2011, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London. 13. Communiqué, Commonwealth Heads of Government Review Meeting, 3–5 August, London

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