Background of the problem

Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Mvezo, small village in the Eastern Cape of South
Africa, to the Xhosa speaking Thembu people. His father died when he was nine,
and he became the ward of the Paramount Chief and expected to eventually take
high office. He went to a local mission primary school, where he was given the
name Nelson.
After secondary schooling he enrolled at university of Fort Hare in 1939 and became
friends with Oliver Tambo. They were both suspended a year later for taking part in
a protest boycott. Mandela and his cousin Justice then ran away to Johannesburg to
escape arranged marriages. While there he met Walter Sisilu who arranged for him
to start his articles in a law firm. While studying, in 1943 he joined the African
National Congress (ANC) to campaign for justice for the people of South Africa.
In 1948 he was elected secretary for the African National Congress Youth League
which was trying to persuade the ANC to become more active in their campaigning.
In that year, all-white elections were held - no black or mixed race people were
allowed to take part - and the National Party was elected to bring in Apartheid forced living apart of the races.
In 1949, the Youth League persuaded the ANC to accept a campaign of boycott,
strike, civil disobedience and non-co-operation. And in 1952, the ANC embarked on
a Defiance Campaign against unjust laws. Nelson Mandela toured the country
encouraging people to take part in civil disobedience. He was arrested, with others,
and convicted despite the fact that they had "advised their followers to adopt a
peaceful course of action and to avoid all violence". He was given a suspended
sentence and his movements were restricted.
During this time, Mr. Mandela passed his law exams and in December 1952, he and
his friend, Oliver Tembo, opened South Africa's first black law firm in central

Johannesburg. Because of the apartheid laws, they were told they had to move out
of town, miles away from their clients. They refused and stayed put.
He continued to work for justice and against apartheid, to the annoyance of the
authorities and, in 1956, he and 155 others were charged with high treason and
imprisoned during a trial that lasted 4 years and at the end of which they were
acquitted (found not guilty).
In 1960, the ANC was outlawed. They had to conduct their meetings in secret from
then on. Despite that, he would go to other public meetings and speak out against
the repressive regime and secretly organise civil action like strikes and sit ins.
However, he had to move around a lot because the authorities were looking for him
and he kept evading them.
The authorities were using ever more brutal methods to enforce the 'pass' laws;
everyone, except whites, had to carry passes on them at all times which restricted
where they were allowed to go. In 1960, there was a huge demonstration outside a
police station in Sharpeville when more than 5000 people presented themselves
without passes, demanding to be arrested. The demonstration grew throughout the
day, armed police support was rushed in and sometime in the afternoon, the police
started shooting. 69 people were killed, including 8 women and 10 children, and
180 injured, including 31 women and 19 children. Many were shot in the back as
they tried to run away.
Incidents like this made the leadership of the ANC decide that the fight for freedom
had to become an armed struggle, since peaceful means were not working and
were met with force.
Under an assumed name, Nelson Mandela travelled abroad in 1962 (including
Britain) to enlist support for their cause. Shortly after their return he was arrested
for leaving the country illegally and incitement to strike. He conducted his own
defence and used it to make clear his views on racism and injustice. He was
convicted and given 5 years imprisonment.
While in prison, their underground HQ was uncovered and he and 10 others were
charged with sabotage. They all used the trial to make public their political beliefs
and 2 of them, Nelson Mandela, Sisulu and Govan Mbeki, decided that if they were
given the death sentence, they would not appeal.
9 were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. They were flown to Robben
Island. They refused offers of remission in return for accepting apartheid. "Prisoners
cannot enter into contracts - only free men can negotiate." Mandela said and he
stayed in prison a further 26 years.
During that time, in 1976, thousands of school children and students in Soweto
walked out of school to march in protest against a law forcing them to do their
learning in 'Afrikaans', "the language of the oppressor" (Tutu). When they would not
disperse, the police fired into the crowds of children, killing and wounding many.
Chaos and rioting followed. The final death toll is unkown but runs into hundreds,
with thousands wounded. This news spread throughout the world, highlighting the

brutal repression of the regime. The tide of opinion, even in South Africa began to
turn.
During the later 1980's, Nelson Mandela initiated talks with the government and
open dialogue between them and the ANC. A new Nationalist president F. W. de
Klerk took office. He responded to the pressure to release Mr. Mandela and lift the
ban on the ANC.
On February 11th 1990, Nelson Mandela walked free. The following year he was
elected President of the ANC and began negotiations with de Klerk on a new
democratic constitution for South Africa.
In 1993, together they accepted the Nobel Peace prize, on behalf of all the people
who had suffered so much to bring justice to South Africa.
In 1994, Mr. Mandela voted for the first time and a few weeks later became South
Africa's first President first President of a (in his words) "united, democratic, nonracial and non-sexist government." in elections in which, for the first time, every
South African adult was able to vote.
Despite the brutality of the previous regime and his own personal suffering, Nelson
Mandela instituted a peace and reconciliation agenda, never faltering in his belief in
democracy, equality and learning, holding out the hand of peace to those who had
oppressed and deprived others.
Life in Nelson Mandela's world
What did Apartheid and it laws mean for the ordinary non-white person living in
South Africa?
Apartheid laws designated 4 races: white, black, coloured (mixed race) and Indian.
Here are a few examples of these laws.
Family: Each race had to live in separate areas, therefore family members
(especially from mixed race families) could be separated and forced to live away
from each other.
Non-white people were forcibly removed from areas where they lived into other
areas - even into 'transit camps'.
Marriage between 'races' was outlawed.
Not only living areas but transport, hospitals, schools, colleges, beaches and even
park benches were segregated, with all the better facilities kept for whites.
An example in education: 644 South African Rands was spent each year for each
White school children while only 42 Rands was budgeted for a Black school child.
Gradually, non-whites were disenfranchised - stripped of their right to vote.
All black people over 16 had to carry a 'pass' at all times in white areas. It was like
an internal passport, with details like address, fingerprints, photograph, name of
employer, his/her address, how long employed etc. An employer could be only a

white person. The pass also showed legal permission (or not) to be in a certain area
and the reason for such permission. Any government employee could cancel the
permission to stay in the area.
Without a valid permission, officials would arrest and imprison the person with the
pass.
Most passes were granted for only one individual (usually a man) for working, who
then had to leave his wife and family behind.