The records in S-1930 contain memoranda, correspondence, and reports created or received by the United Nations Observer Mission in South Africa (UNOMSA)’s Chief of Mission (COM) Angela King who served from 23 September 1992 to 27 June 1994. UNOMSA was established through United Nations Security Council Resolutions 772 and 894, adopted on 17 August 1992 and 14 January 1994, respectively, and operated from September 1992 until June 1994 to observe and report on the transition from apartheid South Africa to a non-racial, democratic society. Ms. King was appointed Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) for South Africa in December 1993. The function of S-1930 is derived from PKO.HOM001 and PKO.POL004 of the Peacekeeping and Political Operations Retention Schedule (PORS) through the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Department of Field Support, dated 1 August 2011.
The records in S-1930 document the activities and responsibilities of Angela King in both roles and highlight her involvement with UNOMSA’s peace promotion activities during the first mandate through Security Council Resolution 772, which was to monitor activities and promote an end to violence in South Africa; strengthen and reinforce the structures of the National Peace Accord (NPA); and focus on the resumption of negotiation processes in South Africa. The records demonstrate the collaboration between UNOMSA and the National Peace Accord (NPA) structures, including the National Peace Committee (NPC) and the National Peace Secretariat (NPS). Meeting summaries and minutes, memoranda, cables, and faxes document trends in South Africa, detail the progress of United Nations Mission Observers (UNMOs) and other international observer missions in South Africa, and propose modifications as ways to strengthen the NPA by, for example, the establishment of a peace corps and the expansion of responsibilities for the Regional Peace Committees (RPCs), Local Peace Committees (LPCs), and Regional Peace Secretariats (RPS).
S-1930 also contains records exchanged between UNOMSA and one of the NPA structures at the regional level, the Social and Economic Reconstruction and Development (SERD) Committees, which consist of cables, proposals for development projects, and updates from SERD through the RPCs and the NPA. SERD also submitted funding proposals for other United Nations projects, including teacher and education training, assistance to homeless populations, and small business opportunities such as brick building and sewing projects. There was a strong effort by SERD to create economic development in order to stabilize and reconstruct the areas affected by violence.
The Joint Operations Communications Centre (JOCC) was created by the RPC, LPC, and the police to monitor violence by deploying mediators and security to report violence. The JOCC records consist of cables, memoranda, briefings, press releases and reports, and the subjects include administrative details; security arrangements; conditions at the JOCC; reports of violence; end of mission debriefings; meeting summaries; notes from meetings with foreign ambassadors; set up logistics and location of voting stations; staffing requirements; and guidelines.
The Commission of Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation, commonly referred to as the Goldstone Commission, is also documented in S-1930. Created by South African President F.W. de Klerk and chaired by Justice Richard Goldstone, the Goldstone Commission investigated political violence which occurred between July 1991 and the general election on 27 April 1994. The Commission produced reports on various topics, including the activities of the NPS, violence and intimidation in the meadowlands, taxi industry, hostels, and on trains, preliminary investigations into the activities of the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA), and the violence at Mooi River.
Angela King was in regular contact with the South African government and its officials. S-1930 contains meeting notes and cables between Ms. King and government officials including President de Klerk, the Minister of Home Affairs and Environment, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Law and Order, Minister of Local Government and Housing, Minister of Defence and Justice, Minister of Regional and Land Affairs, and Minister of Constitutional Development. Issues addressed in the meetings include logistical issues around the transition from apartheid to a non-racial democratic society and arranging voter observation to ensure the safety of South African citizens. Ms. King was also in contact with South African political parties such as the African National Congress (ANC), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), South African Communist Party, Afrikaner Volksfront, Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB), the Conservative Party/Konserwatiewe Party (KP), and the Democratic Party. Correspondence documents security planning for the election; meeting summaries; constitutional proposals put forth by political parties; complaints between political parties; efforts at resuming the negotiation process; condolences of deaths; party manifestos; speeches; and press releases by political parties.
S-1930 contains daily reports, bill drafts, resolutions, press releases, statements and notes from meetings of the Transitional Executive Council (TEC). On 7 December 1993, TEC was established to assist with facilitating, transitioning, and preparing for the implementation of a democratic government in South Africa. TEC covered issues such as finance; state employees; incidents of violence and managing states of emergency; determining the rights of citizens to vote; ensuring issues would be addressed after the election; and monitoring independent media coverage.
S-1930 records document communication between Angela King and her Special Advisor Charles Wyse through cables and faxes containing memoranda and reports on a variety of subjects including voter registration, observation of violence, coordination of observers, election results, meeting notes, training, UN role in the elections, deployment of observers, press articles, training, visits, briefings, code of conduct, and meetings.
Other records document Angela King’s work with international observer teams operating in South Africa including: European Community (European Community Observer Mission in South Africa, ECOMSA); Commonwealth of Nations (Commonwealth Observer Mission to South Africa, COMSA); and the Organisation of African Unity (Organisation of African Unity Observer Mission in South Africa, OAU-OMSA). S-1930 contains cables, press releases and reports exchanged between these organization and UNOMSA related to coordinating observation and sharing information on developments inside South Africa. S-1930 also contains a number of official reports including: “Survey Report on the Proposed Expansion of UNOMSA: Administrative and Logistic Support Matters,” issued by the Field Office Division (FOD)/Department of Peacekeeping Operations; “Violence in South Africa: The Report of the Commonwealth Observer Mission to South Africa Phase II: February 1993 - May 1993," by COMSA; “Report to the Commission of Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation,” produced by the Multinational Panel to Inquire into the Curbing of Violence and Intimidation During the Forthcoming South African Election; and "International Monitoring as a Mechanism for Conflict Resolution in Southern Africa," by Douglas Anglin.
With the expanded mandate in 1994 through Security Council Resolution 894, Angela King oversaw all activities of UNOMSA’s two newly created divisions: 1) the Peace Promotion Division (PPD), which continued to respond to the provisions of Security Council Resolution 772 and expanded its network of contacts to include the monitoring branch of the IEC; and 2) the Electoral Division which observed the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC); monitored the ability of South African political parties to campaign freely; verified that eligible voters were not denied identification documents or temporary voter cards (TVCs); and ensured that voting stations were free of intimidation.
The records in S-1930 that relate to the PPD consist of daily, weekly, observer, and situation reports, meeting summaries and press articles from the UNMO teams operating in the newly established provinces. S-1930 also contains reports and summaries about conferences produced by the Electoral Division including the Conference on Election Monitoring and Observing, the Election Planning Conference, the Panel of Religious Leaders for Electoral Justice, and the Conference on Violence: Free and Fair Elections in South Africa. The records also contain correspondence between the Electoral Division and various agencies in South Africa such as the Centre Against Apartheid, National Election Commission, and the Interim Electoral Division.
The records document UNOMSA’s collaboration with the IEC through correspondence, memoranda on elections, meeting summaries, election readiness plans, agendas, locations of voting stations, instructions on how to administer elections, and the role of a monitor in an election. In addition, there are also notes detailing various conferences and meetings such as the IEC conference on Technical Assistance, the Interim Committee of the National Conference on Election Monitoring and Observing, Coordination of International Assistance and Support to IEC, and the Sub-Committee on Monitoring of the IEC.
S-1930 also contains records from the Liaison and Protocol Office, which was located within the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Africa. Headed by the Senior Liaison and Protocol Officer Ala Almoman, the Liaison and Protocol Office generated documents to assist with arranging workshops, coordinating visits, and contacting agencies and governments outside of South Africa. Records related to the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid (UNSCAA) and the IEC have great significance because they include cooperation service agreements between the UN and foreign governments as well as reports from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The active records from the Liaison and Protocol Office run from 1 January to 6 June 1994, with reference material dating from 1 January 1993.
Processing Archivist: Matthew Aull, Corinne O’Connor
Volume: 75 boxes