4 May 1990
Government and ANC adopt the Groote Schuur Minute
After three days of formal talks, the government and ANC adopted the Groote Schuur Minute and created joint mechanisms to address political prisoners, returning exiles and other obstacles to substantive negotiations.
View in timelineDelegations of the South African government and African National Congress met at Groote Schuur in Cape Town from 2 to 4 May 1990. Their concluding agreement, the Groote Schuur Minute, committed both sides to work towards resolving violence and intimidation and to remove practical obstacles to negotiations.
A joint working group was established to address the definition of political offences, the release of political prisoners and immunity arrangements that would allow exiles to return. The meeting concentrated on establishing conditions and procedures for substantive negotiations; the future constitutional settlement remained for the later negotiating process.
Significance
The Minute was the first formal government–ANC agreement and transformed the political opening of February 1990 into a joint negotiating process.
Why it matters
This was the first formal agreement between the government and ANC and began the practical work needed to make constitutional negotiations possible.