1980s

President P W Botha’s visit to Britain in June 1984 was the first such visit since South Africa left the Commonwealth in 1961. It followed South Africa’s adoption of a new constitution in 1983. This memo sought assurances from Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that the British government was committed to universal suffrage in a united South Africa. Thatcher was sufficiently concerned about opposition to the visit to agree to meet a delegation from the AAM.

At least 50,000 people marched through London on 2 June 1984 to tell South African President P W Botha he was not welcome in Britain.The demonstration was the beginning of an upsurge of anti-apartheid action which gathered pace for the rest of the decade.  Botha met Prime Minister Thatcher at her country house Chequers, instead of Downing Street, because of the scale of the protest. In the photograph are Deputy Labour Leader Roy Hattersley (left) with AAM Chair Bob Hughes MP and Liberal MP Simon Hughes.

At least 50,000 people marched through London on 2 June 1984 to tell South African President P W Botha he was not welcome in Britain. The demonstration was the beginning of an upsurge of anti-apartheid action which gathered pace for the rest of the decade.  Botha met Prime Minister Thatcher at her country house Chequers, instead of Downing Street, because of the scale of the protest.

At least 50,000 people marched through London on 2 June 1984 to tell South African President P W Botha he was not welcome in Britain. The demonstration was the beginning of an upsurge of anti-apartheid action which gathered pace for the rest of the decade.  Botha met Prime Minister Thatcher at her country house Chequers, instead of Downing Street, because of the scale of the protest.

A speaker at the rally in Jubilee Gardens on London’s South Bank on 2 June 1984. At least 50,000 people marched through London to tell South African President P W Botha he was not welcome in Britain. London’s black and Asian community were at the forefront of opposition to Botha’s visit. The demonstration was the beginning of an upsurge of anti-apartheid action which gathered pace for the rest of the decade.

The march against P W Botha on 2 June 1984 was followed by a free concert in Jubilee Gardens on London’s South Bank. This was one of a series of big music festivals organised by the AAM in the 1980s. It was sponsored by the Greater London Council.

Letter from Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher about her meeting with P W Botha in June 1984. Instead of calling for one person one vote, she told him that the British government would accept a system of government that had ‘the consent of the South African people’. She said she had ‘expressed concern at the continued detention of Nelson Mandela’.

In June 1984 the police banned anti-apartheid protesters from the pavement in front of South Africa House. City of London AA Group supporters demonstrated against the ban on the steps of St Martin’s in the Fields, 22 June 1984.