Niël Barnard

It is the early 1990s and South Africa is on a knife-edge. Nelson Mandela is free at last, but a peaceful political transition looks virtually impossible. Both sides of the political divide, the left and the right, are poised to take up arms. In the midst of this threat of violence, with the future of the country at stake, the largely unprepared and rudderless NP government faced the ANC at the negotiation table at Codesa. As head of National Intelligence (NI), Niël Barnard was central to this...

In die vroeë 1990's is Suid-Afrika op 'n mespunt. Nelson Mandela is uiteindelik vry, maar 'n vreedsame politieke oorgang lyk byna onmoontlik. Links én regs staan gereed om die wapen op te neem. Te midde van dié dreigende geweld, met die land se toekoms op die spel, kom die grootliks onvoorbereide en koerslose NP-regering teen die ANC te staan by Kodesa. As hoof van die Nasionale Intelligensiediens (NI) is Niël Barnard sentraal tot dié onstuimige proses, wat telkens byna ontspoor....

In the murky world of espionage few rules apply. Everything is permitted in the name of state security – even talking to the country's Enemy No. 1. This is exactly what Niël Barnard, then head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), did in the late 1980s. On instruction of PW Botha, he started top-secret talks with Nelson Mandela in prison. Not even Cabinet was informed. In Secret Revolution Barnard reveals, for the first time, the details of these meetings – the precursor to...

In die duister wêreld van spioene geld die gewone reëls nie. Alles is geoorloof in die naam van landsveiligheid – selfs om met die staat se Vyand No. 1 te praat. Dit is presies wat Niël Barnard in die laat 1980's as hoof van die Nasionale Intelligensiediens (NI) gedoen het. In opdrag van PW Botha het hy hoogs geheime gesprekke met Nelson Mandela begin voer. Nie eens die kabinet het geweet nie. In Geheime Revolusie lig Barnard vir die eerste keer die sluier oor dié tronkgesprekke – wat...