The election of 1994 was seen by many as a miracle. It was one of the few times, perhaps the only time, that a colonising group had given up its power without a civil war or large scale external intervention.
A Government of National Unity was formed bringing together the National Party and the ANC as well as other political forces such as the IFP. The first post-apartheid parliament included representatives of all population groups in the country. For the first time, a quarter of the members of parliament were women.