ACTioN SociAlist WE WE BY 0I BY OUR WE ut the world. He was Ruth Africa in a repeople of mixed Mandela' is the slogan arrested with 156 others and charged with treason. Only after a four year trial were the accused acquitted.
The acquittal came in the year of the Sharpeville massacre, gunned down peaceful protesters, killing 69 and wounding 176. Mandela was again arrested and the ANC outlawed. On his release he gave a speech to 1400 African delegates at the All-In African conference, rejecting the forthcoming establishment of a white republic of South Africa.
The delegates threatened to organise a general strike if their demand for a South in Calls was not met.
of this campaign and this campaign following a wave of street went underground. The white Republic of South Africa was declared depriving Africans of the made up 70 percent of the though they population.
cent stayed and Pretoria in Johannesburg In Port Elizabeth 75 per cent went on strike, despite threats arrests, sacking eviction. When Mandela went underground his ress statement explaines We stressed that the strik would be followed by forms of mass pressure to force the rac maniacs who govern our beloved countde moratie democratic way zovernment of the peopl by the people, for the peo ple... At the present mowe plan to mak government impossible' Mandela then travelle o other African countri and Europe • to gain suphis return he as 92 on was captured and sentenced to five years hard labour for his leadership of the 1961 strike and for leaving the country without valid papers. But QUARTZ ST WE WE WE WE BY OV "Because the soil of South Africa is already drenched with the biood of innocen Africans, we felt it our duty to make preparations as a long term undertaking to use force in order to de Tend ourse ves againsi force.
This determined and frank evidence to the 1963 trial shows that Mandela ducked none of the issues in order to save his skin.
hardships struggle would not deter him. He said: have made choice. will not leave will I surrender. Only through hardship, sacrifice freedom be won. The struggle is my life' E was terried ta spark an The apartheid regime sentence would spark explosioner international under pressure they imposed life sentence. Mandela has now served 23 years prison — the first ten years without a bed and much of it in solitary confinement broken and he st is But spirit no1 • gIve confidence other prisoners by campaigning for better prison condi tions. This year he turned down two offers of release president refusing to comply with the condition that he re nounce violence.
It is this determinatior to fight for liberation to the end which has earned Mandela the love respect of the South When Mandela declares 'the struggle is my life 'I am prepared to die', h speaks for the thousands of African, Indian 'coloured' people in South Africa who death because they will not give rights demonstrate, bury their struggle for freedom That is why when we demand 'free Nelsor Mandela' we are deman ding the freeing of the Black people of Sout Africa. Whe Mandela walks free, the key won't only have turned on his Be one, the for Somet flung open for South African people to march to victory for democracy justice and freedom Mandela explained: 'No power on earth can stop an oppressed i people determined freedom'
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STAND BY OUR
STAKE MY DUA BY DUR BY DID 1DERS
underground he explaine that the deprivations and
African people and suj the world