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2 DAYS AWAY The meetings on 6 May failed to produce any results. The atmosphere in the Constitutional Assembly was becoming acrimonious. There was no longer evidence of the consensus-seeking mode that had previously characterised much of the process. The parties were playing hardball. Once again, fatigue was a major issue. The negotiators were worn […]

3 DAYS AWAY The press was now urging the negotiators to complete the job they had started. City Press said: “This week support, prayers and sheer old-fashioned staying power were the request we threw at the feet of men and women writing our country’s new constitution. The work has been hard. Almost back-breaking … But

4 DAYS AWAY Poster from the Constitutional Assembly media campaign. Constitutional Assembly Negotiators were now confident that the technical refinement team could draft amendments for consideration by the political parties later in the day. Several ANC proposals had been tabled regarding the Bill of Rights, the property clause and the lock-out clause. There was agreement

5 DAYS AWAY It’s 7 o’clock on Friday 3rd May 1996. You’re listening to AM Live on SAFM 104 to 107. Thank you, Sally. Good morning. The experts say, while it seems possible that agreement can be reached on the property and lock-out clauses, neither the ANC nor the National Party appeared prepared last night

7 DAYS AWAY On 1 May, the Constitutional Committee began debating outstanding issues at two in the afternoon and ended at five o’clock the next morning, without reaching success. At this point there were real concerns that the Constitution would not be adopted on 8 May. Poster from the Constitutional Assembly media campaign. Constitutional Assembly

8 DAYS AWAY A crisis loomed as COSATU refused to abandon its plan for a national strike. On Tuesday, 30 April COSATU staged its general strike. At lunchtime unionists rallied outside Parliament and a hapless Tony Leon was manhandled and slapped in the face when he tried to address the gathering. Throughout the day, the

9 DAYS AWAY A crisis loomed as COSATU refused to abandon its plan for a national strike, scheduled to take place the following day. Further to-ing and fro-ing on the education and property clauses continued. The possibility that the Constitution might not be finished was becoming very real. The issues remained the same. The ANC would not agree to

10 DAYS AWAY After ten hours of discussion between the NP and the ANC, the two main parties were joined by delegations from both COSATU and business to discuss the property and lock-out clauses. Ramaphosa came away from the meeting stating that he was ‘1 000 per cent sure of adopting the Constitution on May 8’. His confidence

12 DAYS AWAY By now, newspapers and radio stations were issuing daily reports of unfolding events in the CA. The nation was gripped. On 26 April, AM Live announced: Constitutional Assembly sub-committees are to continue negotiations today on the nearly 300 proposed amendments to the Constitution to be filed with the Assembly this afternoon. Parties may hold

16 DAYS AWAY Incredibly, the technical refinement team produced the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Bill, incorporating all the agreements made on Friday 19 April, in time to place it before the Constitutional Assembly on 22 April. This Technical Refinement Team confronted a burden far greater than the task of transforming the constitutional