The Laws Nelson Mandela Broke

Nelson Mandela was a prominent anti-apartheid activist and the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Born in 1918, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) in the 1940s and soon became a leader in the struggle against apartheid. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation imposed by South Africa's white minority on the Black majority, which restricted almost every aspect of life according to race. Mandela's opposition to these racist laws led to his arrest and imprisonment for 27 years. During his time in prison, he continued to act as a leader and mobilise his fellow political prisoners. After his release, he helped negotiate an end to apartheid and was subsequently elected president.

Refusing to carry identification passes

In 1952, Nelson Mandela helped lead the Defiance Campaign, which encouraged Black South Africans to actively break apartheid laws. One of these laws required Black people to carry identification passes at all times, which they needed to present to enter white-designated areas. During the Defiance Campaign, more than 8,000 people—including Mandela—were jailed for refusing to carry identification passes, among other offenses.

Mandela's refusal to carry identification passes was part of a broader commitment to fighting racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa. Apartheid laws separated South Africans into four distinct racial categories: "white/European," "black," "coloured" (people of mixed race), and "Indian/Asian." White people, who made up only 15% of the population, held the majority of the country's wealth and political power, while Black South Africans, who made up 80% of the population, were relegated to the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Mandela's refusal to carry identification passes was an act of civil disobedience and a challenge to the racist and oppressive apartheid system. By refusing to comply with this law, Mandela and other activists sent a powerful message of resistance and non-cooperation with an unjust and discriminatory regime. This act of defiance played a crucial role in the broader struggle for racial equality and social justice in South Africa.

Violating curfews

Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for his fight against apartheid. During his time as an activist, Mandela was jailed for violating curfews, along with over 8,000 other people.

In 1948, segregation in South Africa became state law when the ruling party formally adopted apartheid. This policy required Black South Africans to carry identification with them at all times, which they needed to enter areas designated for whites. They were forced to live in all-Black zones and were forbidden from entering into interracial relationships.

In 1952, Mandela helped to escalate the struggle as a leader of the Defiance Campaign, which encouraged Black participants to actively violate laws. As part of this campaign, Mandela encouraged Black South Africans to violate curfews.

Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island, where he faced harsh conditions designed to break his resolve. Despite this, he continued to act as a leader and mobilised his fellow political prisoners. After 27 years, Mandela was released from prison and helped negotiate an end to apartheid. He then became the first democratically elected president of South Africa.

Organising acts of civil disobedience

In the early 1950s, Nelson Mandela toured South Africa, organising campaigns of mass civil disobedience. As part of the African National Congress (ANC), he helped initiate a mass mobilisation against racist laws, called the Defiance Campaign. This campaign encouraged Black participants to actively violate apartheid laws.

The Defiance Campaign was the first significant non-violent political campaign against apartheid. For four months, more than 8,000 volunteers deliberately broke apartheid laws by refusing to carry passes, violating curfews, and using public places and facilities designated for white-use only.

Mandela was jailed for five years in 1962 for his involvement in the Defiance Campaign and for leaving the country without a permit. In 1964, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for organising sabotage at what became known as the Rivonia trial.

• Strikes and boycotts: Black workers boycotted white businesses, went on strike, and staged non-violent protests.
• Refusal to carry passes: Black South Africans were required by law to carry identification documents with them at all times. As part of the Defiance Campaign, volunteers refused to carry these passes.
• "Thumb-sign" protests: Protestors on trains designated for whites only would give a "thumbs up" sign of solidarity.
• Violation of curfews: Volunteers violated curfews imposed on Black South Africans.
• Use of public spaces designated for whites only: Volunteers used public places and facilities that were designated for white-use only, such as public transport, hospitals, and beaches.

These acts of civil disobedience were met with repression and violence from the South African government. Many protestors were detained, arrested, or killed. Despite this, the Defiance Campaign played a crucial role in generating a mass upsurge for freedom within South Africa and brought international attention to the struggle against apartheid.

Advocating for armed resistance

In the face of violent repression by the South African government, Nelson Mandela's views on how to resist apartheid evolved over time. By the 1950s, Mandela had become a prominent leader in the struggle against apartheid. He was a member of the African National Congress (ANC), which initiated the Defiance Campaign in the 1950s—a mass mobilisation against racist laws that encouraged Black South Africans to break apartheid laws by entering white areas, refusing to carry passes, and using facilities designated for whites only.

However, after the Sharpeville massacre in 1960, where 69 peaceful protesters were killed by police, and the subsequent banning of the ANC, Mandela's views shifted towards advocating for armed resistance. He helped organise a paramilitary subgroup of the ANC called Umkhonto we Sizwe ("Spear of the Nation") in 1960 and went into hiding for 17 months to gain support for the armed struggle.

Mandela believed that armed resistance was the only way to end apartheid, as he stated:

> There are many people who feel that it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and non-violence against a government whose reply is only savage attacks on an unarmed and defenceless people...The attacks of the wild beast cannot be averted with bare hands only.

Under his leadership, the ANC carried out a sabotage campaign, blowing up government pass offices, electricity pylons, and attacking police stations. Additionally, Mandela made it clear in his autobiography that they were prepared to engage in guerrilla warfare and even terrorism if necessary.

Mandela's advocacy for armed resistance ultimately led to his arrest in 1962 and conviction in 1964 for leaving the country without a permit and for sabotage. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and served 27 years in prison, during which he became a symbol of resistance to apartheid worldwide.

Sabotage

Nelson Mandela was a prominent anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). He was arrested and imprisoned multiple times for his role in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. While Mandela initially advocated for non-violent protest, he later came to believe that armed resistance was necessary to overthrow the oppressive regime.

In the early 1960s, Mandela left South Africa to receive military training and gain support for the armed struggle. However, he was arrested and convicted soon after his return for leaving the country without a permit. During his hiding, Mandela formed a paramilitary subgroup of the ANC called Umkhonto we Sizwe ("Spear of the Nation"). Under his leadership, the ANC carried out a sabotage campaign, targeting government pass offices, electricity pylons, and police stations.

In 1963, while Mandela was in prison, the police discovered documents related to his plan for guerrilla warfare. He and his allies were charged with sabotage and other crimes in what became known as the Rivonia Trial. Despite knowing that they were likely to be convicted and executed, Mandela and his co-defendants used the trial to publicize their anti-apartheid struggle and challenge the legal system that oppressed Black South Africans.

During the trial, Mandela delivered a powerful four-hour-long speech, in which he denounced the white supremacy and racial segregation enforced by the apartheid regime. He stated that the lack of human dignity experienced by Black Africans was a direct result of the policy of white supremacy. Mandela expressed his commitment to the ideal of a free and democratic society and his willingness to die for this cause if necessary.

As a result of the Rivonia Trial, Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964. He was sent to Robben Island, a maximum-security prison, where he endured harsh conditions and forced labour. Despite the challenges, he continued to act as a leader and mobilized his fellow political prisoners.

Mandela's imprisonment made him a symbol of resistance to apartheid worldwide. International advocates campaigned for his release, and their efforts, along with increasing internal and external resistance, eventually led to the end of the apartheid regime. In 1990, Mandela was released from prison, and negotiations to end apartheid formally began. He played a crucial role in these negotiations, which culminated in the adoption of a new constitution that abolished racial discrimination and paved the way for democratic elections.

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