Browse the AAM Archive

After agreement was reached on 27 April 1994 as the date for one person one vote elections in South Africa, the AAM campaigned to ensure the elections were free and fair. This Manifesto set out ten conditions, including a UN monitoring group. It was launched on 27 July 1993 at a ceremony in the House of Commons.

After agreement was reached in July 1993 on a date for South Africa’s first democratic national election the AAM set out steps to ensure the election was free and fair. These included an end to political violence, voter education and equitable financial resources for the parties contesting the election. 

ANC representative Mendi Msimang with Labour MP John Prescott at the trade union congress in September 1993. The TUC gave its full backing to the ANC’s Votes for Freedom campaign and asked British unions to donate to the ANC’s election fund. It also asked affiliated unions to support their sister unions in South Africa.

Bill Morris, General Secretary of the British transport workers union TGWU, presented a cheque for £20,000 to the ANC’s UK representative Mendi Msimang at the trade union congress in September 1993. The donation was for the ANC’s election fund, which had a £1 million target in Britain. The shopworkers union USDAW, the Fire Brigades Union, civil servants union CPSA, Manufacturing Science and Finance (MSF) and the general workers union GMB all made big donations.

On 24 September 1993 Nelson Mandela went to the UN in New York to ask for the lifting of international sanctions against South Africa. This was after agreement was reached on setting up a Transitional Executive Council in South Africa and an election date, 27 April 1994. Sanctions were formally lifted two weeks later on 8 October. This AAM statement was timed to coincide with Mandela’s UN visit. It looked forward to new trade relationships that would help build a post-apartheid economy.

Leaflet publicising a meeting on the first anniversary of elections in Angola in September 1992. UNITA, led by Jonas Savimbi, refused to accept the result of the elections, won by the MPLA. Angola was plunged into renewed civil war, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their homes. The Angola Emergency Campaign was set up by the AAM and the Mozambique Angola Committee to draw public attention to the Angolan war.

In October 1993 Nelson Mandela visited Glasgow, the first British local council to present him with the freedom of the city, in 1981. AAM President Trevor Huddleston presented him with a special scroll commemorating the award of the freedom of nine British local authorities.

Nelson Mandela spoke to a big crowd who came to welcome him in spite of heavy rain in Glasgow’s George Square on 9 October 1993. Later he delighted the crowd by dancing with singer Mara Louw in front of Glasgow City Chambers.