The Patriotic Front Conference opens

Delegates rebuilt the legal mass organization and prepared it for negotiations and electoral politics.

Mandela succeeded Oliver Tambo, while Walter Sisulu became deputy president and Cyril Ramaphosa secretary-general.

After revelations of secret state funding for Inkatha, the ANC called for ministers to resign and covert counter-insurgency structures to be dismantled.

Delegates debated the armed movement's role in a negotiated transition and called for a formal ceasefire.

Parties, unions, religious bodies and civic organizations agreed to codes of conduct and monitoring mechanisms intended to reduce political violence.

Nineteen organizations approved an agenda and arrangements for an inclusive convention on constitutional principles and transitional government.

Political organizations and international observers gathered for the first broad multiparty constitutional convention.

Most participating parties committed themselves to democracy, constitutional government and a peaceful transition.

At its eightieth anniversary, the organization presented post-apartheid policies and began preparing supporters for democratic elections.

The proposal combined a short multiparty transition with an elected constitution-making process and a temporary coalition government.