significant change from the Botha era and lead to concessions that ushered in the transition to democracy. The march The march began near Cape Town's St George's Cathedral and proceeded down Adderley Street, ending at the Grand Parade. The crowd was led by the city's mayor and a group of religious leaders and marshalls from the United Democratic Front. Unlike previous protests, the police were not present to confront the marchers, and the march went peacefully. Outside the Cape Town City Hall, Tutu gave a speech referring to South Africa as a rainbow country. Aftermath The success of the march and the fact that the police refused to enforce the ban against such gatherings under the then State of Emergency led to further marches in many parts of the country, often instigated by religious leaders. Liberal commentator Allister Sparks regards the march as the beginning of the normalisation of South African politics and September 1989 as the culmination of De Klerk's conversion to negotiations. A few months later, South Africa entered a new political era when De Klerk unbanned the African National Congress and other anti-apartheid organisations and freed Nelson Mandela and other prisoners. Formal negotiations to end apartheid began soon afterwards. References History of South Africa 20th century in Cape Town Events associated with apartheid 1989 in South Africa Protests in South Africa Events in Cape Town