CONFIDENTIAL

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R 171512Z JAN 90
FM AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5365
INFO AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG
AMCONSUL DURBAN
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY HARARE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CAPE TOWN 00097 
 
 
LONDON FOR KOLKER, PARIS FOR FENDRICK 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:  OADR 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SF
SUBJ:  ESSA MOOSA TALKS ABOUT MANDELA AND OTHER TOPICS 
 
¶1.  CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
-------- 
SUMMARY 
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¶2.  ATTORNEY ESSA MOOSA WHO SPOKE WITH HIM LAST WEEK, 
SAYS MANDELA FULLY EXPECTS THAT ON FEBRUARY 2 DE KLERK 
WILL ANNOUNCE THE UNBANNING OF THE ANC, PAC AND OTHER 
ORGANIZATIONS, THE LIFTING OF THE STATE OF EMERGENCY, 
THE RETURN OF POLITICAL EXILES TO SOUTH AFRICA, AND THE 
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CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        CAPE T  00097  01 OF 03  182017Z 
 
RELEASE OF SEVERAL POLITICAL PRISONERS INCLUDING MANDELA 
HIMSELF.  IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ANNOUNCEMENTS WOULD COME 
SWIFTLY AFTER DE KLERK'S SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF 
PARLIAMENT. 
- 
¶3.  THE SAG IS CONCERNED OVER ANC RELATIONS WITH THE SACP 
AND OVER THE WORKING DEFINITION OF "ONE MAN ONE VOTE," 
AMONG OTHER "WHITE FEARS" ISSUES.  MANDELA HAS PASSED 
DE KLERK'S "PROPOSALS" ON THESE TOPICS TO THE ANC. 
THE ORGANIZATION'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT IS WILLING TO 
NEGOTIATE EVEN WHILE APARTHEID LAWS REMAIN IN PLACE MAY 
BE PART OF THE ANC'S REPLY TO THE SAG. 
 
¶4.  TENSIONS IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY 
REDUCED BY THE SAG'S TACTIC OF OPENING DIALOGUE AND A 
COMMITMENT SHARED BY THE MDM TO REDUCE CONFRONTATIONS. 
WHILE MAINLY OF BENEFIT TO THE SAG, THIS PERIOD OF CALM 
COULD ALSO FAVOR THE ANC'S NEW STRATEGY OF PRAGMATISM. 
 
¶5.  RAISING THE PENDING VISIT OF JESSE JACKSON, MOOSA 
EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT IT WOULD BE BAD FOR THE STRUGGLE 
IF JACKSON ADVOCATED LIFTING SANCTIONS UPON HIS RETURN TO 
THE US.  END SUMMARY. 
- 
¶6.  IN A HALF HOUR CONVERSATION WITH POLECONOFF. ESSA 
MOOSA. THE WESTERN CAPE UDF'S LAWYER AND ONE OF THE 
ATTORNEYS WHO MET WITH MANDELA LAST WEEK, MADE THE F0LLOW- 
ING REMARKS: 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
MANDELA RELEASE WILL BE ANNOUNCED FEBRUARY 2 IN PARLIAMENT 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
¶7.  MANDELA MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT HE FULLY EXPECTS 
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PAGE 03        CAPE T  00097  01 OF 03  182017Z 
 
PRESIDENT FW DE KLERK TO MAKE SEVERAL MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS 
IN HIS FEBRUARY 2 SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. 
DE KLERK WILL ANNOUNCE: 
 
-- THE UNBANNING OF THE ANC, PAC AND OTHER POLITICAL 
-  ORGANIZATIONS; 
 
-- THE END OF THE STATE OF EMERGENCY; 
 
-- THE RETURN OF POLITICAL EXILES TO SOUTH AFRICA; 
 
-- THE RELEASE OF A NUMBER OF POLITICAL PRISONERS, 
-  INCLUDING NELSON MANDELA. 
- 
¶8.  THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT ALL 
THE ITEMS LISTED WILL TAKE EFFECT AS OF THE TIME OF THE 
SPEECH.  BUT FIRM PLANS AND A COMMITMENT TO CARRY THEM OUT 
SWIFTLY WILL BE PART OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT. 
 
------------------------------- 
WHERE WILL MANDELA BE RELEASED? 
------------------------------- 
¶9.  MOOSA SIDESTEPPED A QUESTION ABOUT WHERE MANDELA'S 
HOME BASE WOULD BE UPON HIS RELEASE.  HE ONLY REMARKED 
THAT MANDELA CAN TELL THE SAG WHERE HE WANTS TO BE 
RELEASED AND WHERE HIS FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE WOULD THUS 
TAKE PLACE.  SENTIMENTALLY, SAID MOOSA, PAARL (WHERE 
MANDELA IS NOW IN PRISON) SEEMED TO APPEAL TO MANDELA. 
(COMMENT:  BUT POLITICALLY AND PRACTICALLY THIS MAKES 
LITTLE SENSE.  JOHANNESBURG SEEMS BY FAR THE MOST 
SUITABLE VENUE. END COMMENT.) 
- 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
 
CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
 
 
 
R 171512Z JAN 90 
FM AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5366 
INFO AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 
AMCONSUL DURBAN 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY HARARE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 CAPE TOWN 00097 
 
LONDON FOR KOLKER, PARIS FOR FENDRICK 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:  OADR 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SF
SUBJECT:  ESSA MOOSA TALKS ABOUT MANDELA AND OTHER TOPICS 
 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
DE KLERK-ANC COMMUNICATION THROUGH MANDELA 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  WHEN HE MET SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WITH MANDELA, DE KLERK 
PROVIDED A SET OF PROPOSALS AND ASKED FOR THE ANC'S 
RESPONSE.  MANDELA HAS NOT DISCUSSED THOSE PROPOSALS 
IN ANY DETAIL WITH PEOPLE HERE (AT LEAST HE DID NOT DO SO 
WITH THE LAWYERS' GROUP OF WHICH MOOSA WAS A MEMBER) BUT 
HE DID TRANSMIT THEM TO ALFRED NZO AND THABO MBEKI. 
MOOSA BELIEVES (PIECING TOGETHER STRAY REMARKS WHERE AND 
THERE) THAT THE PROPOSALS RELATED PRINCIPALLY TO THE NEED 
TO ALLAY WHITE FEARS.  SPECIFICALLY, HE THINKS ONE ISSUE 
WAS THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE ANC TO THE SACP (SOUTH AFRICAN 
COMMUNIST PARTY) AND ANOTHER WAS THE DEFINITION OF ONE MAN 
ONE VOTE. 
 
¶11.  ASIDE FROM BEING AN EFFORT TO SEIZE THE MORAL HIGH 
GROUND BY PUBLICLY DEMONSTRATING FLEXIBILITY, THE ANC'S 
RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT IS PREPARED TO NEGOTIATE 
EVEN WHILE APARTHEID LAWS LIKE THE GROUP AREAS ACT REMAIN 
IN PLACE MAY BE PART OF THE ORGANIZATION'S REPLY TO DE 
KLERK. 
 
¶12.  MOOSA UNDERSTANDS MANDELA TO HAVE WORKED OUT A 
GAME PLAN FOR "NEXT STEPS" IN A NEGOTIATION WITH DE KLERK 
SO AS TO ENSURE THAT HE IS NOT RELEASED FROM PRISON 
INTO A VACUUM. 
 
¶13.  MANDELA HAS TOLD VARIOUS VISITORS THAT HE HAS A GOOD 
OPINION OF DE KLERK AS A SINCERE INDIVIDUAL EVEN THOUGH 
HE REGARDS HIM AS STILL THE LEADER OF THE NATIONAL PARTY 
AND NOT MORE THAN THAT. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
COMMITMENT ON SAG AND MDM SIDE TO REDUCE CONFRONTATION 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶14.  MOOSA AGREED THAT THE ATMOSPHERE IS MUCH LESS TENSE 
THAN EVEN SIX MONTHS AGO.  FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR THE 
RETURN TO SCHOOL RESULTED IN THE USUAL ACCUSATIONS AND 
PHYSICAL CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF 
EDUCATION AND TRAINING (DET), AIDED BY THE POLICE, 
AND STUDENTS SUPPORTED BY PARENTS, TEACHERS AND THE MDM. 
THIS YEAR THERE IS AN EVEN WORSE CRISIS DUE TO LACK OF 
SPACE IN BLACK SCHOOLS AND THE FAILURE OF OVER 100,000 
STUDENTS TO PASS THEIR "MATRIC EXAMS." YET THERE IS A NEW 
SPIRIT OF DIALOGUE AT THE DET AND ACTIVISTS ARE 
THEREFORE ABLE TO CHANNEL STUDENT FRUSTRATIONS IN A CON- 
STRUCTIVE MANNER. 
 
¶15.  THE SAG'S NEW "TACTIC" OF ALLOWING DISSENT AND 
ENGAGING IN DIALOGUE INSTEAD OF STONEWALLING "IS WORKING 
FOR THEM," MOOSA SAID.  HE ACKNOWLEDGED, HOWEVER, THAT IT 
COULD ALSO, IF DEALT WITH POSITIVELY, WORK FOR THE MDM 
AND ANC.  THOUGH AN ABSENCE OF DIRECT CONFRONTATION IS 
"DEMOBILIZING FOR THE MASSES," FEWER RAW NERVES AMONG 
ACTIVISTS COULD MAKE THEM MORE AMENABLE TO THE ANC'S 
INCREASINGLY PRAGMATIC STRATEGY FOR DEALING WITH THE SAG. 
THAT STRATEGY, MOOSA SAID, IS NOT UNDERSTOOD BY MANY 
ACTIVISTS, ESPECIALLY YOUTH, WHO FEAR A SELL-OUT OF THEIR 
CAUSE.  THERE REMAINS A LOT TO DO TO EXPLAIN THE VIRTUES 
OF FLEXIBILITY TO THEM. 
 
-------------------------------- 
PAC AND BC -- A THORN IN THE SIDE 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶16.  MOOSA DESCRIBED THE CONFERENCE ON A DEMOCRATIC 
FUTURE AS "NOT A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE IN COOPERATION." 
HE OPINED THAT THE PAC AND BC COULD TURN OUT TO BE A 
REAL PROBLEM.  HE EXPECTS THEM TO REMAIN ALOOF, SNIPING 
AT THE ANC'S POSITIONS FROM THE SIDELINES AND STIRRING 
UP YOUNG PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR. 
 
---------------------- 
JESSE JACKSON VISIT 
---------------------- 
 
¶17.  MOOSA INQUIRED ABOUT THE DATES FOR JESSE JACKSON'S 
VISIT AND EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT JACKSON HAD MET WITH 
THE PRESS AT SOUTH AFRICAN AMBASSADOR KOORNHOF'S 
RESIDENCE.  MOOSA FEARED THAT THE SAG WAS GOING TOO GOOD 
A JOB OF CULTIVATING JACKSON AND THAT HE MIGHT RETURN 
TO THE US AND ANNOUNCE THAT SANCTIONS SHOULD BE LIFTED. 
MOOSA APPEARED TO HAVE GREATER CONFIDENCE IN KOORNHOF'S 
PERSUASIVE ABILITY THAN IN THAT OF THE SACC LEADERSHIP 
WHICH IS HOSTING THE JACKSON VISIT. 
 
BAQUET