Nelson
Mandela is viewed as the figurehead of South African forces behind the end to apartheid. He joined the African National Congress
in 1943 where he stressed the importance of equality for all races, not just
the wealthy blacks if South America. Dedicated to non-violent protest, Mandela
traveled around Africa and taught volunteers about peaceful response to police.
Soon, police started to raid the homes of people who were involved in these
non-governmental organizations. Mandela was arrested for treason in 1956. Mandela
fled the law and disguised himself as many people, yet spoke in secret about
the unity of all South Africans, or Pan- Africanism. When the Government
finally caught Mandela, he was sentenced to 5 years of prison time. He was sent
to Robben Island, which was known for its torturous tactics.
The
Government soon found out about all the work that Mandela had done during his
time as a refuge. His sentence was
changed from 5 years to a lifetime. “Mandela considered the struggle in
prison a microcosm of the struggle in the country”. Mandela became a martyr of
sorts while he was in prison. Many uprisings supported the Free Nelson Mandela campaign. Pressure mounted on the government
and finally, in February of 1990, President Frederik Willem de Klerk announced
the Nelson Mandela would be released.
No comments:
Post a Comment