"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Franz Heymann" writes:
|
| Not so much a miracle as the simultaneous realisation
by
| Mandela and de Klerk of the only possible civilised way
| forward.

I count that as pretty miraculous! It was pretty
surprising when
Smith did that in Rhodesia, but the situation was a lot
clearer
and the positions were a lot less entrenched. I really
did NOT
expect de Klerk to be so courageous - or to get away with
it,
without political assassination by his colleagues.

Yes. Although with the exception of the real diehards, the
ruling party had begun to realise that they were reaching
the end of the road, and most were probably quite relieved
that de Klerk was willing to take the chance of negotiating
with the ANC leadership. Most of my family, strong
Nationalist Party supporters, accepted that de Klerk did the
wise thing.
Unfortunately, some of them still do not realise what a long
trek it will be before the real benefits of the changeover
become manifest.

Franz