THE RIVONIA TRIAL

Nelson Mandela went to the unofficial ANC headquarters at Lilliesleaf Farm in Rivonia, a rural suburb of Johannesburg. Nelson traveled around South Africa checking on ANC units and their plans for action. Then on the night of 5 August 1962, he was captured by police near Johannesburg who followed his trail along with other congress alliance, on 9 October 1963 and appeared in court on charges of sabotage. Charged with leaving the country illegally, Nelson was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison, but Nelson Mandela was regarded as the first accused, they suspected that he was the mastermind in planning these sabotages, because of Nelson Mandela's fame, the ANC sought to use this Trial (Rivonia trial) to win worldwide support and attention, then Nelson Mandela presented his handwritten script from the dock on April 20th.

In this page we are going to read about the life of Nelson, Rolihlahla Mandela in Robben Island, and we are also going to read about the Rivonia Trial and the Liberation struggle.

What is RIVONIA TRIAL?

Rivonia Trial is the trial (case) that was charged to sixteen leaders of the ANC for sabotage including Nelson Mandela.

Nelson’s wife Winnie, his mother and other relatives attended the Rivonia trial in 1963.The trial, which soon became known as the Rivonia Trial, began in October 1963. Nelson , Walter and the other defendants pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges on the grounds that the government was not based on democratic ideals. South Africa - the rest of the world – waited to see how the trial would develop. A verdict of guilty could lead to the death penalty.
Mr Albert Luthuli was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on nine months after the Sharpeville tragedy.

The script in which Nelson Mandela entitled
  I'm prepared to die in this script he explained why he plan sabotages he suggested four kinds of war that the ANC would have used, but they chose to use the sabotage, because he thought it was fair and no so violent, but he was accused to want to achieve revolution by violent means as the apartheid government put it. He went on explaining on what kind of South Africa he was dreaming to see and to die for and he said he could do just about anything to free Black South African from White apartheid government, but the Apartheid government was not impressed, they still found him guilty and sent him to Robben Island prison to life imprisonment together with other accused defendants.

He was allowed one visitor a year in 30 minutes, he could only receive  and write one letter  for every 6 months, due to close monitoring of writing materials, no letters containing political matters were allowed out of the prison, but somehow, Mandela did write a letter to the Minister of Justice on April 22 in 1978 which was entitled Release us on Treat as political prisoners. In this letter Mandela was asking to be set free together with other prisoners, but the Minister took very long to reply and he did not grant them the release.