South African Referendum of 1992
White voters backed negotiations to end apartheid 68.7 percent, dismantling minority rule from within.
Overview
On March 17, 1992, F.W. de Klerk asked white voters, on an 85 percent turnout of the white electorate, whether they supported reform negotiations that would end apartheid. Yes won 68.7 percent, a stunning reversal of the far right's momentum after the ANC suspension of talks and the violence-ridden period. The mandate let de Klerk resume negotiations leading to the 1993 interim constitution and the 1994 universal election. The referendum remains unique: a ruling minority voting on whether to abolish its own privilege.
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