1963 - The Rivonia Trials

Often referred to as “the trial that changed South Africa,” in October 1963, ten leading opponents of Apartheid went on trial for their lives on charges of sabotage. 

Mandela, referred to as Accused No. 1, declined to give evidence in his defence but chose instead to make a speech from the defendant’s dock, highlighting his grievances, outlining his politics and explaining his principals. His statement took three hours to deliver and is considered a pivotal moment in the history of the development of South African democracy. During it, Mandela condemned the very court he was in as ‘illegitimate’. He argued that the laws in place were draconian, and therefore, defiance of them was justified. He took pains to deny accusations that he was a communist or regarded the Western parliamentary system as undemocratic. ‘On the contrary, I am an admirer of such a system,’ stated Mandela. His closing words have been much-quoted :

“During my lifetime, I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

The Rivonia Trials concluded in June of 1964. Mandela, together with seven others, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island. He served a further 27 years before being released in 1990.