Botha's National Party government had permitted Coloured and Indian citizens to vote for their own parliaments, which had control over education, health, and housing, but black Africans were excluded from the system; like Mandela, the UDF saw this as an attempt to divide the anti-apartheid movement on racial lines.
Pemerintah Partai Nasional pimpinan Botha mengizinkan warga Kleurlinge dan India memilih perwakilannya sendiri yang kelak mengatur pendidikan, kesehatan, dan perumahan, namun orang Afrika kulit hitam dikecualikan dari sistem ini; layaknya Mandela, UDF memandang hal ini sebagai upaya memecah gerakan antiapartheid di sektor ras.