A farkon shekarun 1980 an shaida karuwar tashin hankali a duk fadin kasar, kuma mutane da yawa sun yi hasashen yakin basasa. Wannan ya kasance tare da koma bayan tattalin arziki kamar yadda bankunan ƙasashe daban-daban suka yi aiki a karkashin matsin lamba daga wata ƙungiya ta kasa da kasa. Mandela ya daina zuba jari a Afirka ta Kudu. Bankuna da dama da Thatcher sun nemi Botha ya saki Mandela - sannan a lokacin da ya shahara a duniya - don magance halin da ake ciki. Ko da yake yana ganin Mandela a matsayin "Marxist-Marxist" mai haɗari, a watan Fabrairun 1985 Botha ya ba shi damar saki daga kurkuku idan ya "yi watsi da tashin hankali a matsayin makami na siyasa". Mandela ya yi watsi da wannan tayin, ya ba da sanarwa ta hanyar 'yarsa Zindzi cewa, "Wane 'yanci ne aka ba ni yayin da kungiyar mutane [ANC] ta haramta?
Shekarar 1987