ANC Leaders and SA Business Meet in Kaunda’s Game Lodge
On 13 September 1985, African National Congress (ANC) President Oliver Tambo and his entourage consisting of Pallo Jordan, Mac Maharaj, Chris Hani, Thabo Mbeki and James Stuart met moguls of South African business and media at Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda’s private game lodge in the Luangwa National Park, Mfuwe, Zambia.
South African business and media was represented by Gavin Relly and Zach de Beer of Anglo American, Tony Bloom of Premier Group Holdings, Tertius Myburgh (Editor of the “Sunday Times” newspaper), Harold Pakendorf (Editor of “Die Vaderland” newspaper), J. de L. Peter Sordor (Director of the South African Foundation) and Hugh Murray (Editor of “Leadership South Africa” bulletin).
The primary aim of the discussions was around negotiations, however in the ANC summary of the meeting was that the ANC’s stance then on the matter, as expressed at the Mfuwe meeting, was that “we have not reached the stage where we can even talk about talks. The Botha regime has to take concrete steps in order to create the atmosphere where even talk about talks can be entertained.”
According to the ANC, the concrete steps included the release of Nelson Mandela and all political prisoners, lifting the state of emergency, releasing all detainees, halting political trials, removing police and troops from black townships and ‘ghettoes’, lifting the ban on the ANC, and removing laws that would
