Sequel to Long Walk to Freedom - Revision 1 - Chapter 2 Page 10

and insisted that I should there and then make an unequivocal undertaking that I would give them the Volkstaat. I told him that I was a mere servant of the ANC, subject to their authority and discipline; that if I acted unilaterally on a principle of such fundamental importance, the organisation would summarily dismiss me, rendering me useless to the rightwing. He retorted quite firmly that if I did not accept his demand, their plan would be carried out. I said: "So be it" and that was the end of our discussion. That same day, I telephoned former President Botha and briefed him on the General's decision. I requested the former president to persuade the General to join the negotiations at the World Trade Centre. A few days later, the General pulled out of the conspiracy of the rightwing and joined the negotiating parties. His colleagues heavily vilified him for saving South Africa from such a calamity. Hartzenberg did not have any military capacity at all and Terre'Blanche relied on a collection of undisciplined amateurs who had no idea of what a war involved. On the eve of the elections, bombs exploded especially in Johannesburg and killed about twenty innocent civilians. It was a matter for police action and the culprits were arrested and convicted. 23