ABSTRACT
In 1985, the Commonwealth held a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the Bahamas. The Commonwealth meeting established an eminent person’s group (EPG) to embark on a mediation effort to encourage dialogue towards an establishment of a non-racial and representative government. The EPG held its first meeting at Marlborough House, London, on 12–13 December 1985, the month that Kobie Coetsee approached Mandela. In March 1986, the EPG’s four members – Lord Barber, John Malecela, Edward Scott and Swaran Singh – joined the three on a full-scale visit to South Africa. The 1949 Declaration of London eliminated allegiance to the crown as a condition for Commonwealth membership. This led to the emergence of a multiracial Commonwealth, signalling an important departure from previous arrangements between Britain and the white dominions. Given the history of the South African question inside the Commonwealth, it would have taken close to a miracle for the government to accept the Commonwealth as a trusted mediator.
