1994 Election

• In December 1991, the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) began negotiations on the formation of a transitional government.
• The negotiations to end Apartheid led to backlash among the right-wing white opposition, leading to the extremely right-wing Conservative Party winning a number of by-elections.
• De Klerk responded to the Conservatives success in by-elections by calling a white-only referendum in March 1992 to decide whether negotiations should continue. 68% gave their support, subsequently De Klerk felt confident that he could continue.
• Negotiations resumed in May 1992, at CODESA 2. The ANC and the government could not reach a compromise on how power should be shared during the transition to democracy.