67 Minutes: Freedom, Justice, and Democracy
Nelson Mandela International Day – 18 July
By: Janice Dowson
Rolihlahla (Nelson) Mandela (1918-2013) was born 18 July 1918.
In 2009, the United Nations declared that in honour of his
commitment to peace and freedom as well as his dedication to
the service of humanity, 18 July would be Nelson Mandela
International Day. Nelson Mandela spent 67 years serving others
as a human rights lawyer, prisoner of conscience, international
peacemaker and as the first democratically elected president of
South Africa. Along with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the
United Nations calls on all global citizens to devote 67 minutes to
serving others; one minute for each year of Mandela’s public
service.
Mandela was born in Mvezo on the banks of the Mbeshi River in
what is now the Eastern Cape province in South Africa. As a young
boy, Mandela started attending a Methodist mission school and
went on to do his secondary schooling at Clarkebury Methodist
High School. Mandela continued on in school eventually starting
a B.A. at the University of Fort Hare, where he met Oliver Tambo.
He left the University of Fort Hare before finishing his degree, but
subsequently earned his B.A. through the University of South
Africa. He began his law degree at the University of
Witswatersrand, the only black student in his class, but left school
before completing his LLB. He was able to practice law, however,
with his B.A. and a two-year law diploma, and in 1952, he and
Oliver Tambo started the first black law firm in South Africa:
Mandela & Tambo.
Political Awakening: Human Rights Lawyer
In 1944, Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) and with Ashley Peter Mda, Walter Sisulu,
Oliver Tambo and Anton Lembede helped to establish the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in order to provide
space for the younger generation to grow into political leaders for tomorrow. The ANCYL adopted a more
militant approach and helped to transform the ANC into a mass-based liberation movement. At this point
of his political life, Nelson Mandela adhered strongly to African nationalism even criticizing the ANC in
early 1950 for endorsing the Free Speech convention alongside the Communist Party and the Transvaal
and Natal Indian National Congresses. However, on 1 May 1950, the ANC, the Communist Party and the
South African Indian Congress
together called for a national
strike as a means of protest,
which was met by brutal force
by the government. This
successful
action
demonstrated to Mandela
that it would require a nonracial alliance to overcome
apartheid and white minority
rule. Mandela would join the
organizing committee for the Defiance Campaign, which was modelled on previous passive resistance
struggles and called on volunteers to defy apartheid laws such as entering ‘whites only’ areas without
permits or using ‘Europeans only’ train stations. More than 8,000 people were arrested during the
Defiance Campaign and the ANC’s membership rose significantly. As the spokesperson for the Defiance
Campaign, Mandela’s public profile rose and he was eventually ‘banned’ for his role, which meant he
was forbidden from attending any gatherings for six months and he was not allowed to leave
Johannesburg. This banning order was renewed repeatedly for the next nine years.
In 1955, the Congress Alliance adopted the Freedom Charter in Kliptown. Due to their banning, Mandela
and Sisulu could not attend the Congress of the People gathering where the Freedom Charter was
adopted, and instead had to watch the gathering from the rooftop of a nearby shop. In late 1956, the
apartheid government arrested 156 leaders of the Congress Alliance on charges of high treason, including
Mandela. Mandela would be acquitted in the treason trial, but the experience forced him to go
underground.
Armed Resistance and Arrest: Prisoner
Due to the events at Sharpeville (when government
forces killed 69 demonstrators), the apartheid “If the government reaction is to crush by
government banned the ANC and the Pan-African naked force our non-violent demonstration,
Congress (PAC) (the South African Communist Party we will have to seriously reconsider our tactics.
had been previously banned), and arrested Mandela In my mind we are closing a chapter on this
and 2,000 other activists. The apartheid question of a non-violence policy.” Nelson
government’s willingness to ban dissenting political Mandela 1961.
organizations led Mandela to reconsider the
approach of peaceful resistance and he became
convinced that armed resistance was necessary, especially since the apartheid government kept using
brutal force against their peaceful measures. Mandela was made commander-in-chief of Umkhonto we
Sizwe (MK) – Spear of the Nation – which was the ANC’s armed wing. Using a fake passport, Mandela left
South Africa for training in guerrilla techniques. On his return to South Africa, while on his way to visit
“I consider myself neither legally nor morally bound to obey laws made by a parliament in which I have
no representation…Why is it that no African in the history of this country has ever had the honour of
being tried by his own kith and kin…It makes me feel that I am black man in a white man’s court.”
Nelson Mandela 1962 (during the Treason Trial)
ANC President, Chief Luthuli, Mandela was arrested on his way to Johannesburg; he was charged and
convicted of leaving the country without a permit and sentenced to five years in prison. While serving
that sentence, the ANC hideout in Rivonia was raided, and Mandela and 10 others, including Govan
Mbeki and Walter Sisulu, were charged with sabotage, conspiracy to overthrow the government by
revolution, and assisting in an armed invasion of South Africa by foreign troops. The “Rivonia Trial”
concluded on 12 June 1964 when the accused were found guilty, and sentenced to life imprisonment;
later than night they were flown to Robben Island Prison.
Unlike most of the political prisoners at Robben Island
prison, who shared large cells, the Rivonia Trial
“During my life-time, I have dedicated
prisoners were kept in small, single person cells in an
myself to this struggle of the African people.
attempt to stop them from communicating with and
I have fought against white domination and
influencing the other prisoners. However, despite the
I have fought against black domination. I
guards’ best efforts, Robben Island prison became
have cherished the ideal of a democratic and
known as “The University”, with several of the Rivonia
free society in which all persons live together
Trial prisoners teaching courses to the other inmates on
in harmony and with equal opportunities. It
a variety of topics. The Robben Island prisoners were
is an ideal which I hope to live for and to
kept largely isolated from the world outside of the
achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for
prison. When Mandela first arrived he was labeled a
which I am prepared to die.” Nelson
category D prisoner and as such he was allowed to send
Mandela 1964 in his famous Speech from
just one 500-word letter every six months, and these
the Dock. He gave this speech after the
letters
were
heavily
Rivonia trial concluded but before hearing
censored and often failed to
the judgement and sentencing. Most
reach
their
intended
thought the Rivonia accused would be
destinations. Mandela was
executed.
a leader in the Robben
Island prison, and, at times,
worked cooperatively with the guards in order to improve conditions.
Nelson Mandela was in the Robben Island prison from 1964-1982, at which point he was moved to
Pollsmoor Prison. In 1985, President Botha offered to release Mandela from prison under the condition
that Mandela would reject advocating political violence. Mandela turned down Botha’s offer of
freedom by stating: “What freedom am I being offered while the organisation of the people remains
banned? Only free men can negotiate. A prisoner cannot enter into contracts.”
Negotiations to End Apartheid: Peacemaker to President
Nearing the end of the 1980s conditions in South Africa were reaching a breaking point. South Africa’s
economy was struggling because of international sanctions; violence between the apartheid state and
the anti-apartheid forces was escalating, but it was also becoming clear that neither side had the capacity
to win the struggle outright. After the 1989 election, FW de Klerk was sworn in as President and in his
now famous 2 February 1990 speech to open Parliament, de Klerk mentioned the government’s
willingness to enter negotiations and called on the armed resistance to cease its violent struggle. Along
with announcing the willingness to negotiate, de Klerk announced the unbanning of several political
organizations including the ANC, the PAC, and the South African Communist Party. Further, he
announced that Nelson Mandela would be released unconditionally from prison. Upon his release from
prison, Mandela gave a historic address at Cape Town city hall, in which he called for the full political and
socio-economic transformation of the apartheid state.
In 1991, Mandela was elected ANC president and led the ANC in the multi-party negotiations. Throughout
the early stages of the negotiations, Mandela refused repeated calls from de Klerk to force the ANC to
abandon the armed struggle and have the ANC fighters surrender all their weapons. Mandela held firm
that Umkhonto we Sizwe would abandon its struggle when, and only when, significant movement had
been made on political reform that would give all South Africans effective say in the government.
Mandela adhered to this position throughout the negotiation process, and this point would continue to
be a source of disagreement for the two sides – at times threatening the negotiation process.
After the negotiations broke down for a second time,
“Universal suffrage on a common
increasing violence prompted Mandela and de Klerk to
voters’ role in a united democratic and
sign a Record of Understanding which was intended to
non-racial South Africa is the only way
demonstrate their continued commitment to reaching a
to peace and racial harmony.” Nelson
negotiated settlement. The Record of Understanding
Mandela 1990 – Speech upon his
committed the two parties to the peace process and to
release from prison
commitments that they had agreed to by signing the
earlier Peace Accord. This agreement established the
good will required to re-start the negotiation process,
which in turn established the interim constitution and the means for the first full-franchise elections.
Mandela remained true to his word, and as the apartheid government made significant progress on
political reforms that would secure the right to vote for all South Africans, Mandela called for the armed
resistance to cease all violent activities. At this point, Mandela’s attention shifted to securing a peaceful
transition built on a strong constitutional democracy and social transformation through the extension of
human rights to all South Africans.
In 1952, Nelson Mandela stated “One day I will be the first black president of South Africa,” and in 1994,
that statement was realized. After the April 1994 elections, the negotiations set out that South Africa
would be led by a Government of National Unity, with every party securing at least (5%) of the popular
vote receiving representation in the cabinet. On 10 May 1994, Mandela officially became the first
democratically elected President of South Africa; he was 75 years old. He would serve as South Africa’s
President until 1999. During his time as President, Mandela attempted to ensure that South Africa would
retain a working democratic system, to find a means for building a single nation, and to establish a path
for social and economic transformation alongside the political reforms that had been secured.
My Mandela Day
When Nelson Mandela died on 5 December 2013, what struck me most were the number of obituaries,
tributes and news articles that invoked the concept of reconciliation to describe Mandela’s place in South
African history. Because my research touches on reconciliation, I found it curious that it was
reconciliation (and not peace) that these authors and speakers emphasized.
When I left Canada for South Africa, I did not want to write a blog about Nelson Mandela; it seemed
cliché and it probably is, but Nelson Mandela’s memory is ever present in South Africa, so not writing
about Mandela and Nelson Mandela International Day seemed wrong. My Mandela day was spent
working on a chapter of my dissertation about Nelson Mandela’s role in the negotiations, particularly his
vision of reconciliation. I walked around the neighbourhood I was staying in in Johannesburg to see if
there were any community service events happening and I couldn’t find any. Nelson Mandela
International Day seemed to be a normal day in Johannesburg. No big events celebrating Mandela; the
only thing I noticed was several places where you could make donations of non-perishable food, clothing
and school supplies to be distributed. It seems strange to me, that the International Day celebrating the
man whose memory colours everything in South Africa was not a bigger deal. It occurred to me later,
that Nelson Mandela International Day maybe meant more for the world as a whole; South Africa and
South Africans don’t need a special day to celebrate Mandela, his memory and his legacy, as they do so
everyday. It was made clearer to me that this was true when I visited Mandela House in Soweto four days
later. The street was packed with people and the entire front lawn and driveway of Mandela House was
crowded with people who had come to pay their respects to Mandela and his memory. I thought back to
the previous week, when I first walked into the Head Office of the South African Human Rights
Commission, Mandela’s presence was unmistakable. I counted 14 pictures of Mandela and the walls
were filled with Mandela quotations about the importance of human rights.
There is a push right now in South Africa to have Nelson
Mandela International Day made a national public
holiday. The pushback against this idea is the notion
that striving to make the world a better place and
getting “each and every person to realise that they
have the ability to change the world through action” is
not a one-day event, but needs to be an on-going
commitment. 67 minutes on every 18 July is just a first
step.
The Pillars of South Africa’s Democratic Constitution: Democracy, Reconciliation, Diversity,
Responsibility, Respect and Freedom