3 MONTHS AWAY
By the beginning of February, as work resumed, the full magnitude of the task that lay ahead became all too clear. A mild panic began to set in. There were just three months to go and many outstanding issues still had to be resolved. On 15 February 1996, the Management Committee formally recognised 68 issues. Arguments were becoming increasingly heated. The politicians were still confident that they would make the deadline. Roelf Meyer described the climate as ‘conducive to compromise and negotiating’ but hinted that there might be some pressure on the process as the politicians ‘needed to negotiate behind closed doors so we can allow them to change their minds and positions gracefully’.
When you retreat into the bilateral, that’s where you really begin to remove the frills, remove the playing to the gallery and actually begin to look each other in the eye … You are trying to understand the fears from the other side, and you are also hoping for a situation whereby they would listen to you.
Baleka Mabete-Kgositsile
Then ANC MP
The administrative staff was feeling more anxious. They had to process the public submissions and also allow time for the technical drafting of the clauses and for producing the document in plain language. They facilitated many bilateral and multilateral meetings between the parties. Hassen Ebrahim concurred with Roelf Meyer’s view:
Although meetings behind closed doors did not augur well with members of the civil society or the media, they allowed for very frank discussions.
HASSEN EBRAHIM
then Executive Director of the Constitutional Assembly
Negotiators held on to their optimism. As Willie Hofmeyr said:
It was really a trying time, but I’m glad I could be part of it because it was exciting. It’s a privilege to be here and it’s a privilege to be able to take part in making history.
Willie Hofmeyr
then ANC MP
Poster from the Constitutional Assembly media campaign. Constitutional Assembly
