South Africa’s Lessons of Transition for Iranians

For those who live in an autocracy and hope to build democracy in their respective country, it is worthwhile trying, to understand what happened in South Africa before the fall of the apartheid regime. Iranian journalist, Maziar Bahari, conducted an interview with Roelf Meyer, a former member of parliament in South Africa who was the apartheid regime’s key player in the negotiation with the African National Congress (ANC) that led to South Africa’s first non-racial elections in 1994. The interview provides insights on how dialogue, trust, and pressure – both domestic and international – created the conditions to achieve an outcome that seemed impossible at the time. Meyer emphasizes that a multifaceted approach was essential to ending apartheid.

Access the full interview here.