- 192 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
In 2 February 1990, FW de Klerk made a speech that changed the history of South Africa. Nine days later, the world watched as Nelson Mandela walked free from the Viktor Verster prison. In the midst of these events was Lord Renwick, Margaret Thatcher's envoy to South Africa, who became a personal friend of Nelson Mandela, FW de Klerk and Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, acting as a trusted intermediary between them. He warned PW Botha against military attacks on neighbouring countries, in meetings he likens to 'calling on the fĂźhrer in his bunker'. He invited Mandela to his first meal in a restaurant for twenty-seven years, rehearsing him for his meeting with Margaret Thatcher - and told Thatcher that she must not interrupt him. Their discussion went on so long that the British press in Downing Street started chanting 'Free Nelson Mandela'.In this extraordinary insider's account, Renwick draws on his diaries of the time, as well as previously unpublished material from the Foreign Office and Downing Street files. He paints a vivid, affectionate, real-life portrait of Mandela as a wily and resourceful political leader bent on out-manoeuvring both adversaries and some of his own colleagues in pursuit of a peaceful outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Praise
- Title
- Contents
- Introduction: âIf a political leader loses the support of his followers, it will remain only for him to write his memoirsâ
- Prologue: âAny self-respecting terrorist has an ak-47!â
- Chapter I: âThis time we have locked up all the right people!â
- Chapter II: âThe greatest risk is not taking any risksâ
- Chapter III: âLet us prayâ
- Chapter IV: âIf you want to get out of a hole, the first thing to do is to stop diggingâ
- Chapter V: âThe IRA have the vote, the ANC do notâ
- Chapter VI: âI realise you want to see a new impetus for changeâ
- Chapter VII: âThe whole world will be against you â led by me!â
- Chapter VIII: âI am happy to request you to pass my very best wishes to the Prime Ministerâ
- Chapter IX: âYou can tell your Prime Minister that she will not be disappointedâ
- Chapter X: âAfter today, South Africa will never be the sameâ
- Chapter XI: âYou can be Mandela and Iâll be Mrs Thatcherâ
- Chapter XII: âFree Nelson Mandela!â
- Chapter XIII: âThe only alternative to negotiations now is negotiations laterâ
- Chapter XIV: âWe can hardly drop them on Lusaka or Sowetoâ
- Chapter XV: âWe did not join the ANC to become rich; we joined it to go to jailâ
- Acknowledgements
- Index
- Copyright