Reconciling the Impossible South Africa s Government of National Unity In 1994
In 1994, Nelson Mandela's African National Congress bridged distrust among rivals in the National Party and the Inkatha Freedom Party to form a Government of National Unity. The new government initiated social programs designed to improve access to education, housing, and other services, and facilitated development of a new constitution to replace the country's apartheid era legal system. These achievements were possible because of procedural innovations as well as exceptional leadership. Although the National Party withdrew from the arrangement in 1996, the unity government fostered cross party collaboration and laid the framework for an inclusive and democratic South Africa. The model developed became a reference point for negotiators and leaders in other parts of the world.