“I am the First Accused.

I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and practised as an attorney in Johannesburg for a number of years in partnership with Oliver Tambo. I am a convicted prisoner serving five years for leaving the country without a permit and for inciting people to go on strike at the end of May 1961.

At the outset, I want to say that the suggestion made by the State in its opening that the struggle in South Africa is under the influence of foreigners or communists is wholly incorrect. I have done whatever I did, both as an individual and as a leader of my people, because of my experience in South Africa and my own proudly felt African background, and not because of what any outsider might have said.

In my youth in the Transkei I listened to the elders of my tribe telling stories of the old days. Amongst the tales they related to me were those of wars fought by our ancestors in defence of the fatherland. The names of Dingane and Bambata, Hintsa and Makana, Squngthi and Dalasile, Moshoeshoe and Sekhukhuni, were praised as the glory of the entire African nation. I hoped then that life might offer me the opportunity to serve my people and make my own humble contribution to their freedom struggle. This is what has motivated me in all that I have done in relation to the charges made against me in this case.

In the statement which I am about to make I shall correct certain false impressions which have been created by State witnesses.

[…]

The African National Congress was formed in 1912 to defend the rights of the African people which had been seriously curtailed by the South Africa Act, and which were then being threatened by the Native Land Act. For thirty-seven years -that is until 1949-it adhered strictly to a constitutional struggle. It put forward demands and resolutions; it sent delegations to the Government in the belief that African grievances could be settled through peaceful discussion and that Africans could advance gradually to full political rights.

[…]

Even after 1949, the ANC remained determined to avoid violence. At this time, however, there was a change from the strictly constitutional means of protest which had been employed in the past. The change was embodied in a decision which was taken to protest against apartheid legislation by peaceful, but unlawful, demonstrations against certain laws. Pursuant to this policy the ANC launched the Defiance Campaign, in which I was placed in charge of volunteers. This campaign was based on the principles of passive resistance. More than 8,500 people defied apartheid laws and went to jail. Yet there was not a single instance of violence in the course of this campaign on the part of any defier. I and nineteen colleagues were convicted for the role which we played in organizing the campaign, but our sentences were suspended mainly because the Judge found that discipline and non-violence had been stressed throughout.

Government has always sought to label all its opponents as communists. This allegation has been repeated in the present case, but as I will show, the ANC is not, and never has been, a communist organization.

In 1960 there was the shooting at Sharpeville, which resulted in the proclamation of a state of emergency and the declaration of the ANC as an unlawful organization. My colleagues and I, after careful consideration, decided that we would not obey this decree. The African people were not part of the Government and did not make the laws by which they were governed. We believed in the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that ‘the will of the people shall be the basis of authority of the Government, and for us to accept the banning was equivalent to accepting the silencing of the Africans for all time. The ANC refused to dissolve, but instead went underground.

[…]

Some of this may appear irrelevant to this trial. In fact, I believe none of it is irrelevant because it will, I hope, enable the Court to appreciate the attitude eventually adopted by the various persons and bodies concerned in the National Liberation Movement. When I went to jail in 1962, the dominant idea was that loss of life should be avoided. I now know that this was still so in 1963.

I must return to June 1961. What were we, the leaders of our people, to do? Were we to give in to the show of force and the implied threat against future action, or were we to fight it and, if so, how?

We had no doubt that we had to continue the fight. Anything else would have been abject surrender. Our problem was not whether to fight, but was how to continue the fight. We of the ANC had always stood for a non-racial democracy, and we shrank from any action which might drive the races further apart than they already were. But the hard facts were that fifty years of non-violence had brought the African people nothing but more and more repressive legislation, and fewer and fewer rights.

[…]

It is true, as I have already stated, that I have been influenced by Marxist thought. But this is also true of many of the leaders of the new independent States. Such

widely different persons as Gandhi, Nehru, Nkrumah, and Nasser all acknowledge this fact. We all accept the need for some form of socialism to enable our people to catch up with the advanced countries of this world and to overcome their legacy of extreme poverty. But this does not mean we are Marxists.

[…]

I have been influenced in my thinking by both West and East. All this has led me to feel that in my search for a political formula, I should be absolutely impartial and objective. I should tie myself to no particular system of society other than of socialism. I must leave myself free to borrow the best from the West and from the East…

[…]

Our fight is against real, and not imaginary, hardships or, to use the language of the State Prosecutor, ‘so-called hardships. Basically, we fight against two features which are the hallmarks of African life in South Africa and which are entrenched by legislation which we seek to have repealed. These features are poverty and lack of human dignity, and we do not need communists or so-called ‘agitators’ to teach us about these things.

[…]

The highest-paid and the most prosperous section of urban African life is in Johannesburg. Yet their actual position is desperate.

[…]

Poverty goes hand in hand with malnutrition and disease. The incidence of malnutrition and deficiency diseases is very high amongst Africans. Tuberculosis, pellagra, kwashiorkor, gastro-enteritis, and scurvy bring death and destruction of health. The incidence of infant mortality is one of the highest in the world. […]

The complaint of Africans, however, is not only that they are poor and the whites are rich, but that the laws which are made by the whites are designed to preserve this situation. There are two ways to break out of poverty. The first is by formal education, and the second is by the worker acquiring a greater skill at his work and thus higher wages. As far as Africans are concerned, both these avenues of advancement are deliberately curtailed by legislation.

The present Government has always sought to hamper Africans in their search for education. One of their early acts, after coming into power, was to stop subsidies for African school feeding. Many African children who attended schools depended on this supplement to their diet. This was a cruel act.

There is compulsory education for all white children at virtually no cost to their parents, be they rich or poor. Similar facilities are not provided for the African children, though there are some who receive such assistance. African children. however, generally have to pay more for their schooling than whites. According to figures quoted by the South African Institute of Race Relations in its 1963 journal, approximately 40 per cent of African children in the age group between seven to fourteen do not attend school. For those who do attend school, the standards are vastly different from those afforded to white children.

[…]

The Government often answers its critics by saying that Africans in South Africa are economically better off than the inhabitants of the other countries in Africa. I do not know whether this statement is true and doubt whether any comparison can be made without having regard to the cost-of-living index in such countries. But even if it is true, as far as the African people are concerned it is irrelevant. Our complaint is not that we are poor by comparison with people in other countries, but that we are poor by comparison with the white people in our own country, and that we are prevented by legislation from altering this imbalance.

The lack of human dignity experienced by Africans is the direct result of the policy of white supremacy. White supremacy implies black inferiority. Legislation designed to preserve white supremacy entrenches this notion.

[…]

This then is what the ANC is fighting. Their struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by their own suffering and their own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live.

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.

প্রথম আসামি আমি।

আমার আর্টস বিভাগে স্নাতক ডিগ্রি রয়েছে এবং আমি বেশ কয়েক বছর ধরে জোহানেসবার্গে অলিভার ট্যাম্বোর সাথে অংশীদারিত্বে একজন অ্যাটর্নি হিসেবে কাজ করেছি। আমি একজন দণ্ডপ্রাপ্ত কয়েদি, দেশ ছাড়ার অনুমতি না নেওয়া এবং ১৯৬১ সালের মে মাসের শেষে মানুষকে ধর্মঘটে যেতে প্ররোচিত করার জন্য পাঁচ বছরের সাজা ভোগ করছি।

প্রথমেই আমি বলতে চাই, রাষ্ট্র তার উদ্বোধনী বক্তব্যে যে ইঙ্গিত করেছে যে দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকার সংগ্রাম বিদেশী বা কমিউনিস্টদের প্রভাবে পরিচালিত, তা সম্পূর্ণভাবে ভুল। আমি যা কিছু করেছি, একজন ব্যক্তি হিসেবে এবং আমার জনগণের নেতা হিসেবে, করেছি দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকায় আমার নিজের অভিজ্ঞতা এবং আমার নিজের গর্বিতভাবে অনুভূত আফ্রিকান পরিচয়ের কারণে, কোনো বহিরাগত যা বলেছে তার কারণে নয়।

ট্রান্সকেই–এ আমার যৌবনে আমি আমার গোত্রের বয়োজ্যেষ্ঠদের কাছে পুরানো দিনের গল্প শুনতাম। তাদের বলা গল্পগুলোর মধ্যে ছিল আমাদের পূর্বপুরুষদের দ্বারা মাতৃভূমির রক্ষায় লড়াই করা যুদ্ধের কাহিনী। ডিংগান এবং বামবাটা, হিনৎসা এবং মাকানা, স্কুংথি এবং ডালাসাইল, মশোশো এবং সেখুখুনির নামগুলি সমগ্র আফ্রিকান জাতির গৌরব হিসেবে প্রশংসিত হত। আমি তখন আশা করেছিলাম যে জীবন হয়তো আমাকে আমার মানুষদের সেবা করার এবং তাদের মুক্তির সংগ্রামে আমার নিজের সামান্য অবদান রাখার সুযোগ দেবে। এই আদর্শই আমাকে এই মামলায় আমার বিরুদ্ধে আনীত অভিযোগগুলোর সাথে সম্পর্কিত সবকিছুতে অনুপ্রাণিত করেছে।

আমি এখন যে বক্তব্য দিতে যাচ্ছি, তাতে রাষ্ট্রপক্ষের সাক্ষ্যদের দ্বারা সৃষ্ট কিছু ভ্রান্ত ধারণা আমি সংশোধন করব।

[…]

আফ্রিকান জাতীয় কংগ্রেস (এএনসি) গঠিত হয়েছিল ১৯১২ সালে আফ্রিকান জনগণের অধিকার রক্ষা করতে, যা দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকা আইন দ্বারা মারাত্মকভাবে খর্ব করা হয়েছিল এবং যা তখন নেটিভ ল্যান্ড অ্যাক্ট দ্বারা হুমকির সম্মুখীন ছিল। সাতত্রিশ বছর ধরে – অর্থাৎ ১৯৪৯ সাল পর্যন্ত – এটি কঠোরভাবে সাংবিধানিক সংগ্রামে আবদ্ধ ছিল। এটি দাবি ও প্রস্তাব পেশ করত; সরকারের কাছে প্রতিনিধিদল পাঠাত এই বিশ্বাসে যে শান্তিপূর্ণ আলোচনার মাধ্যমে আফ্রিকানদের অভিযোগের নিষ্পত্তি হতে পারে এবং আফ্রিকানরা ধীরে ধীরে পূর্ণ রাজনৈতিক অধিকারের দিকে এগোতে পারে।

[…]

১৯৪৯ সালের পরেও, এএনসি সহিংসতা এড়াতে দৃঢ়প্রতিজ্ঞ ছিল। তবে এই সময়ে, অতীতে ব্যবহৃত কঠোর সাংবিধানিক প্রতিবাদের মাধ্যম থেকে একটি পরিবর্তন আসে। এই পরিবর্তনটি একটি সিদ্ধান্তে মূর্ত হয়েছিল, যা কিছু আইনের বিরুদ্ধে শান্তিপূর্ণ কিন্তু অবৈধ বিক্ষোভের মাধ্যমে বর্ণবৈষম্য আইনের বিরুদ্ধে প্রতিবাদ জানানোর জন্য নেওয়া হয়েছিল। এই নীতির অনুসরণে এএনসি ডিফায়েন্স ক্যাম্পেইন শুরু করে, যেখানে আমাকে স্বেচ্ছাসেবকদের দায়িত্বে রাখা হয়। এই প্রচারাভিযানটি প্যাসিভ রেজিস্ট্যান্স বা অহিংস প্রতিরোধের নীতির উপর ভিত্তি করে ছিল। ৮,৫০০ এরও বেশি মানুষ বর্ণবৈষম্য আইন অমান্য করে জেল খাটেন। তবুও এই অভিযানের সময় কোনও অমান্যকারীর পক্ষ থেকে সহিংসতার একটি ঘটনাও ঘটেনি। আমি এবং আমার ঊনিশ সহকর্মী এই অভিযান সংগঠনে আমাদের ভূমিকার জন্য দোষী সাব্যস্ত হই, কিন্তু আমাদের সাজা স্থগিত রাখা হয়েছিল প্রধানত কারণ বিচারক দেখেছিলেন যে শৃঙ্খলা ও অহিংসতা জোর দিয়ে বলা হয়েছে।

সরকার সবসময়ই তার সব বিরোধীকে কমিউনিস্ট হিসেবে লেবেল দিতে চেয়েছে। বর্তমান মামলাতেও এই অভিযোগ পুনরাবৃত্তি করা হয়েছে, কিন্তু যেমন আমি দেখাব, এএনসি একটি কমিউনিস্ট সংগঠন নয়, এবং কখনও ছিল না।

১৯৬০ সালে শার্পভিলে গুলি চালানো হয়, যার ফলে জরুরি অবস্থা ঘোষণা করা হয় এবং এএনসিকে একটি অবৈধ সংগঠন হিসেবে ঘোষণা করা হয়। আমার সহকর্মী এবং আমি, সতর্ক বিবেচনার পর, সিদ্ধান্ত নিই যে আমরা এই ডিক্রি মানব না। আফ্রিকান জনগণ সরকারের অংশ ছিল না এবং যে আইন দ্বারা তারা শাসিত হত তা তারা তৈরি করেনি। আমরা ইউনিভার্সাল ডিক্লারেশন অফ হিউম্যান রাইটসের কথায় বিশ্বাস করতাম, যে ‘সরকারের কর্তৃত্বের ভিত্তি হবে জনগণের ইচ্ছা‘, এবং আমাদের জন্য নিষিদ্ধকরণ মেনে নেওয়া ছিল চিরকালের জন্য আফ্রিকানদের চুপ করিয়ে দেওয়ার সমতুল্য। এএনসি ভেঙে যেতে отказаে, বরং তা underground বা গোপনে চলে যায়।

[…]

এর কিছু অংশ এই বিচারের সাথে অপ্রাসঙ্গিক বলে মনে হতে পারে। বাস্তবে, আমার বিশ্বাস এটির কোনটিই অপ্রাসঙ্গিক নয় কারণ এটি, আমি আশা করি, আদালতকে জাতীয় মুক্তি আন্দোলনে সংশ্লিষ্ট বিভিন্ন ব্যক্তি ও সংস্থার দ্বারা শেষ পর্যন্ত গৃহীত মনোভাব উপলব্ধি করতে সক্ষম করবে। যখন আমি ১৯৬২ সালে জেলে যাই, তখন প্রাধান্যকারী ধারণা ছিল যে প্রাণহানি এড়ানো উচিত। আমি এখন জানি যে ১৯৬৩ সালেও এটি তাই ছিল।

আমাকে ১৯৬১ সালের জুন মাসে ফিরে যেতে হবে। আমরা, আমাদের জনগণের নেতারা, কি করতে যাচ্ছিলাম? আমরা কি শক্তি প্রদর্শন এবং ভবিষ্যতের পদক্ষেপের বিরুদ্ধে অন্তর্নিহিত হুমকির কাছে নতি স্বীকার করব, নাকি আমরা এর বিরুদ্ধে লড়াই করব এবং যদি করি, তবে কীভাবে?

আমাদের কোন সন্দই ছিল না যে আমাদের লড়াই চালিয়ে যেতে হবে। অন্য কোন কিছুই নিতান্ত আত্মসমর্পণ হত। আমাদের সমস্যা ছিল লড়াই করা হবে কিনা তা নয়, বরং সমস্যা ছিল কীভাবে লড়াই চালিয়ে যেতে হবে। আমরা এএনসির লোক হিসাবে সর্বদা একটি অ–বর্ণভিত্তিক গণতন্ত্রের পক্ষে দাঁড়িয়েছি, এবং আমরা যে কোনও কাজ থেকে সরে এসেছি যা ইতিমধ্যেই যতটা আছে তার চেয়ে আরও বেশি দূরে নিয়ে যেতে পারে। কিন্তু কঠোর বাস্তবতা ছিল যে পঞ্চাশ বছরের অহিংস আন্দোলন আফ্রিকান জনগণের কাছে আরও দমনমূলক আইন এবং কম ও কম অধিকার ছাড়া কিছুই নিয়ে আসেনি।

[…]

এটা সত্য, যেমন আমি ইতিমধ্যে বলেছি, যে আমি মার্কসবাদী চিন্তাধারা দ্বারা প্রভাবিত হয়েছি। কিন্তু নতুন স্বাধীন রাষ্ট্রগুলোর অনেক নেতার ক্ষেত্রেও এটা সত্য। গান্ধী, নেহেরু, এনক্রুমাহ এবং নাসেরের মতো এত ভিন্ন ভিন্ন ব্যক্তিরা সবাই এই সত্য স্বীকার করেন। আমরা সবাই কিছু না কিছু সমাজতন্ত্রের প্রয়োজনীয়তা স্বীকার করি যাতে আমাদের মানুষ এই বিশ্বের উন্নত দেশগুলোর সাথে তাল মিলাতে পারে এবং তাদের চরম দারিদ্র্যের উত্তরাধিকার কাটিয়ে উঠতে পারে। কিন্তু এর মানে এই নয় যে আমরা মার্কসবাদী।

[…]

আমার চিন্তাভাবনা পশ্চিম এবং পূর্ব উভয় দ্বারা প্রভাবিত হয়েছে। এই সব আমাকে অনুভব করতে বাধ্য করেছে যে একটি রাজনৈতিক সূত্রের সন্ধানে আমার একদম নিরপেক্ষ এবং উদ্দেশ্যমূলক হওয়া উচিত। আমাকে সমাজতন্ত্র ছাড়া অন্য কোন বিশেষ সামাজিক ব্যবধার সাথে নিজেকে আবদ্ধ করা উচিত নয়। আমাকে অবশ্যই নিজেকে মুক্ত রাখতে হবে যাতে পশ্চিম এবং পূর্ব উভয়ের কাছ থেকে সর্বোত্তমটি ধার করতে পারি…

[…]

আমাদের লড়াই বাস্তব, এবং কাল্পনিক নয়, এমন কষ্টের বিরুদ্ধে, বা রাষ্ট্রপক্ষের আইনজীবীর ভাষায়, ‘তথাকথিত কষ্টের‘ বিরুদ্ধে। মূলত, আমরা দুটি বৈশিষ্ট্যের বিরুদ্ধে লড়াই করি যা দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকায় আফ্রিকান জীবনের বৈশিষ্ট্য এবং যা এমন আইন দ্বারা সুরক্ষিত যা আমরা বাতিল করতে চাই। এই বৈশিষ্ট্যগুলো হল দারিদ্র্য এবং মানবিক মর্যাদার অভাব, এবং আমাদের এই বিষয়ে শেখানোর জন্য আমাদের কমিউনিস্ট বা তথাকথিত ‘উসকানিদাতাদের‘ প্রয়োজন নেই।

[…]

শহুরে আফ্রিকান জীবনের সর্বোচ্চ বেতনভোগী এবং সবচেয়ে সমৃদ্ধ অংশটি জোহানেসবার্গে। তবুও তাদের প্রকৃত অবস্থা নিদারুণ।

[…]

দারিদ্র্য হাত ধরাধরি করে অপুষ্টি এবং রোগ নিয়ে চলে। আফ্রিকানদের মধ্যে অপুষ্টি এবং ঘাটতিজনিত রোগের হার খুব বেশি। যক্ষ্মা, পেলাগ্রা, ক washশিয়োরকর, গ্যাস্ট্রোএন্টেরাইটিস এবং স্কার্ভি মৃত্যু এবং স্বাস্থ্যের ধ্বংস নিয়ে আসে। শিশুমৃত্যুর হার বিশ্বের সর্বোচ্চগুলোর মধ্যে একটি। […]

আফ্রিকানদের অভিযোগ, তবে, শুধু এই নয় যে তারা গরিব এবং শ্বেতাঙ্গরা ধনী, বরং এই যে শ্বেতাঙ্গদের দ্বারা তৈরি আইন এই পরিস্থিতি সংরক্ষণের জন্য তৈরি। দারিদ্র্য থেকে বের হওয়ার দুটি উপায় আছে। প্রথমটি হল প্রাতিষ্ঠানিক শিক্ষার মাধ্যমে, এবং দ্বিতীয়টি হল শ্রমিক তার কাজে greater更大তর দক্ষতা অর্জন করে এবং এইভাবে উচ্চতর মজুরি অর্জন করে। আফ্রিকানদের যতটা concerns সন্তষ্ট, অগ্রগতির এই দুটি পথই ইচ্ছাকৃতভাবে আইন দ্বারা খর্ব করা হয়েছে।

বর্তমান সরকার সবসময়ই আফ্রিকানদের শিক্ষার সন্ধানে বাধা দিতে চেয়েছে। ক্ষমতায় আসার পর তাদের প্রথম দিকের কাজগুলোর একটি ছিল আফ্রিকান স্কুল ফিডিংয়ের জন্য ভর্তুকি বন্ধ করা। স্কুলে যাওয়া অনেক আফ্রিকান শিশু তাদের খাবারের এই পরিপূরকের উপর নির্ভর করত। এটি একটি নিষ্ঠুর কাজ ছিল।

সব শ্বেতাঙ্গ শিশুর জন্য বাধ্যতামূলক শিক্ষা রয়েছে, যা তাদের পিতামাতার জন্য প্রকৃতপক্ষে কোন খরচ ছাড়াই, তারা ধনী হোক বা গরিব। আফ্রিকান শিশুদের জন্য একই সুবিধা প্রদান করা হয় না, যদিও কিছু আছে যারা এমন সহায়তা পায়। তবে, আফ্রিকান শিশুদের সাধারণত শ্বেতাঙ্গদের তুলনায় তাদের স্কুলিংয়ের জন্য বেশি দিতে হয়। সাউথ আফ্রিকান ইনস্টিটিউট অফ রেস রিলেশনস তার ১৯৬৩ সালের জার্নালে উদ্ধৃত figures 数字 অনুসারে, সাত থেকে চৌদ্দ বছর বয়সী বয়সের গ্রুপের প্রায় ৪০ শতাংশ আফ্রিকান শিশু স্কুলে যায় না। যারা স্কুলে যায়, তাদের মান শ্বেতাঙ্গ শিশুদের জন্য প্রদত্ত মান থেকে vastly 辽阔地 berbeda 不同।

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সরকার প্রায়ই তার সমালোচকদেরকে বলে যে দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকার আফ্রিকানরা আফ্রিকার অন্যান্য দেশের বাসিন্দাদের তুলনায় অর্থনৈতিকভাবে বেশি ভালো আছে। আমি জানি না এই বিবৃতিটি সত্য কিনা এবং সন্দেহ করি যে এই ধরনের দেশগুলিতে জীবনযাত্রার ব্যয় সূচক বিবেচনা না করে কোনও তুলনা করা যায় কিনা। কিন্তু এমনকি যদি এটি সত্য হয়, আফ্রিকান জনগণ যতটা concerns সন্তষ্ট, এটি অপ্রাসঙ্গিক। আমাদের অভিযোগ এই নয় যে আমরা অন্যান্য দেশের মানুষের তুলনায় গরিব, বরং আমাদের অভিযোগ এই যে আমরা আমাদের নিজ দেশের শ্বেতাঙ্গদের তুলনায় গরিব, এবং আমরা এই ভারসাম্যহীনতা পরিবর্তন করতে আইন দ্বারা prevented 避免 করা হচ্ছে।

আফ্রিকানদের দ্বারা অভিজ্ঞ মানবিক মর্যাদার অভাব হল শ্বেতাঙ্গ আধিপত্য নীতির প্রত্যক্ষ ফলাফল। শ্বেতাঙ্গ আধিপত্য implies 暗示 কালো নিকৃষ্টতা। শ্বেতাঙ্গ আধিপত্য সংরক্ষণের জন্য নকশাকৃত আইন এই ধারণাকে দৃঢ়ভাবে প্রতিষ্ঠিত করে।

[…]

এই তাহলে এএনসি যা জন্য লড়াই করছে। তাদের সংগ্রামটি একটি সত্যিকারের জাতীয় সংগ্রাম। এটি আফ্রিকান জনগণের সংগ্রাম, তাদের নিজস্ব suffering 痛苦 এবং তাদের নিজস্ব অভিজ্ঞতা দ্বারা অনুপ্রাণিত। এটি বেঁচে থাকার অধিকারের জন্য সংগ্রাম।

আমার জীবদ্দশায় আমি নিজেকে আফ্রিকান জনগণের এই সংগ্রামে উৎসর্গ করেছি। আমি শ্বেতাঙ্গ আধিপত্যের বিরুদ্ধে লড়াই করেছি, এবং আমি কালো আধিপত্যের বিরুদ্ধে লড়াই করেছি। আমি একটি গণতান্ত্রিক ও মুক্ত সমাজের আদর্শ লালন করেছি যেখানে সকল ব্যক্তি সমান সুযোগ নিয়ে সামঞ্জস্যের সাথে একসাথে বসবাস করে। এটি একটি আদর্শ যা আমি বেঁচে থাকার এবং অর্জনের আশা করি। কিন্তু প্রয়োজন হলে, এটি এমন একটি আদর্শ যার জন্য আমি মরতে প্রস্তুত।

 Vocabulary Box: Nelson Mandela’s Court Statement (1964)

1. What was Nelson Mandela’s birth name?
   a) Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
   b) Madiba Mandela
   c) Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela
   d) Nelson Dalibhunga Mandela
2. What does the name “Rolihlahla” roughly translate to?
   a) “Peacemaker”
   b) “Troublemaker”
   c) “Wise Leader”
   d) “Great Warrior”
3. What was his clan name?
   a) Madiba
   b) Tata
   c) Dalibhunga
   d) Xhosa
4. In which village was Mandela born?
   a) Soweto
   b) Johannesburg
   c) Mvezo
   d) Qunu
5. What was his father’s role in the community?
   a) A teacher
   b) A farmer
   c) A chief
   d) A priest
6. After his father’s death, who became Mandela’s guardian?
   a) His mother
   b) Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo
   c) Oliver Tambo
   d) Walter Sisulu
7. Which university did Mandela initially attend?
   a) University of Cape Town
   b) University of the Witwatersrand
   c) University of Fort Hare
   d) University of South Africa
8. Why was Mandela expelled from the university mentioned above?
   a) For poor grades
   b) For participating in a student protest
   c) For political activism
   d) For failing to pay fees
9. What did Mandela study upon moving to Johannesburg?
   a) Medicine
   b) Theology
   c) Law
   d) Education
10. With whom did Mandela establish South Africa’s first black-owned law firm?
    a) Walter Sisulu
    b) Govan Mbeki
    c) Albert Luthuli
    d) Oliver Tambo
11. In which year did Mandela join the African National Congress (ANC)?
    a) 1942
    b) 1944
    c) 1952
    d) 1960
12. Which wing of the ANC did Mandela help to found?
    a) The Women’s League
    b) The Youth League
    c) The Military Wing
    d) The Diplomatic Wing
13. What was the primary initial goal of the ANC Youth League?
    a) Armed struggle
    b) Youth education
    c) A more radical approach against apartheid
    d) International sanctions
14. In the 1950s, Mandela was one of the leaders of which major campaign of defiance?
    a) The Sharpeville Protest
    b) The Defiance Campaign
    c) The Rivonia Trial
    d) The Soweto Uprising
15. What was the main strategy of the Defiance Campaign?
    a) Armed resistance
    b) Peaceful, non-violent protest
    c) International lobbying
    d) Economic boycotts
16. For his role in the Defiance Campaign, what was Mandela’s sentence?
    a) Life imprisonment
    b) A suspended sentence
    c) 10 years in prison
    d) 5 years in prison
17. After the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960, what action did the South African government take against the ANC?
    a) It opened negotiations with them.
    b) It banned the organization.
    c) It offered them cabinet positions.
    d) It exiled their leaders.
18. How did the ANC respond to being banned?
    a) It dissolved peacefully.
    b) It went underground.
    c) It renounced violence.
    d) It focused solely on international pressure.
19. Following the ban, what significant shift in strategy did Mandela advocate for?
    a) A more conciliatory approach
    b) The formation of a military wing
    c) A focus on economic development
    d) Complete disarmament
20. What was the name of the ANC’s armed wing, formed in 1961?
    a) Black Panthers
    b) Spear of the Nation (Umkhonto we Sizwe)
    c) Azanian People’s Liberation Army
    d) African Resistance Movement
21. What was Mandela’s role within this new armed wing?
    a) Chief Strategist
    b) International Recruiter
    c) First Commander-in-Chief
    d) Weapons Trainer
22. In 1962, Mandela secretly left South Africa. What was the primary purpose of his trip?
    a) To seek asylum
    b) To receive military training
    c) To attend a UN conference
    d) To gain international support and military training for the ANC
23. Upon his return to South Africa, how long was Mandela a fugitive before his capture?
    a) 6 months
    b) 17 months
    c) 3 years
    d) 5 years
24. Where was Mandela arrested in 1962?
    a) Johannesburg
    b) Durban
    c) Howick, KwaZulu-Natal
    d) Cape Town
25. What was he initially convicted and sentenced for in 1962?
    a) High treason
    b) Sabotage
    c) Inciting workers’ strikes and leaving the country illegally
    d) Murder
26. While serving this initial sentence, what major trial did he face in 1963-1964?
    a) The Treason Trial
    b) The Rivonia Trial
    c) The Sharpeville Trial
    d) The Soweto Trial
27. Where were the ANC leaders arrested, leading to the Rivonia Trial?
    a) Their Johannesburg office
    b) A farm in Rivonia
    c) Sharpeville
    d) Robben Island
28. What was the main charge against Mandela and his co-accused in the Rivonia Trial?
    a) Theft
    b) Sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government
    c) Illegal assembly
    d) Fraud
29. What was the maximum penalty for the charges in the Rivonia Trial?
    a) 20 years imprisonment
    b) Life imprisonment
    c) Exile
    d) The death penalty
30. Who was the lead prosecutor in the Rivonia Trial?
    a) Percy Yutar
    b) Bram Fischer
    c) Hendrik Verwoerd
    d) B. J. Vorster
31. Who was the head of the defense team?
    a) Oliver Tambo
    b) Bram Fischer
    c) George Bizos
    d) Joel Joffe
32. Mandela’s speech from the dock is most famously known by which opening phrase?
    a) “I am the First Accused.”
    b) “I have fought against white domination…”
    c) “I am prepared to die.”
    d) “The struggle is my life.”
33. In his speech, what does Mandela say motivated his actions?
    a) Foreign influence
    b) Communist ideology
    c) His experience in South Africa and his African background
    d) Personal ambition
34. Mandela stated that the ANC’s struggle was influenced by:
    a) Only Western thought
    b) Only Marxist thought
    c) A combination of Western and Eastern thought
    d) Exclusively African traditional thought
35. What ideal did Mandela famously express in his speech?
    a) The ideal of a communist state
    b) The ideal of a purely African-led state
    c) The ideal of a democratic and free society with equal opportunities
    d) The ideal of a separate development for different races
36. How did Mandela conclude his famous statement about this ideal?
    a) “It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
    b) “It is an ideal for which I am prepared to fight.”
    c) “It is an ideal for which I am prepared to sacrifice.”
    d) “It is an ideal for which I am prepared to live.”
37. What was the verdict in the Rivonia Trial?
    a) Not guilty
    b) Guilty, with a sentence of life imprisonment
    c) Guilty, with a sentence of 20 years
    d) A mistrial was declared.
38. Which of the following was NOT a co-accused with Mandela in the Rivonia Trial?
    a) Walter Sisulu
    b) Oliver Tambo
    c) Govan Mbeki
    d) Ahmed Kathrada
39. To which prison was Mandela initially sent?
    a) Victor Verster Prison
    b) Pollsmoor Prison
    c) Robben Island
    d) Pretoria Central Prison
40. For how many years was Mandela imprisoned on Robben Island?
    a) 10 years
    b) 18 years
    c) 27 years
    d) 15 years
41. What was Mandela’s prisoner number on Robben Island?
    a) 466
    b) 466/64
    c) 64
    d) 27
42. What was the primary type of labor Mandela was forced to do on Robben Island?
    a) Sewing mailbags
    b) Breaking rocks in a limestone quarry
    c) Farming
    d) Kitchen duty
43. In 1982, Mandela and other senior ANC leaders were transferred to which prison?
    a) Victor Verster Prison
    b) Pollsmoor Prison
    c) Johannesburg Prison
    d) Durban Prison
44. In 1985, President P.W. Botha offered Mandela conditional release. What was the condition?
    a) He must go into exile.
    b) He must renounce the armed struggle.
    c) He must apologize to the government.
    d) He must retire from politics.
45. How did Mandela respond to this offer?
    a) He accepted it immediately.
    b) He rejected it, stating that the people’s freedom was more important than his own.
    c) He asked for time to consider.
    d) He accepted but later reneged.
46. Who became South Africa’s president in 1989, initiating secret talks with Mandela?
    a) P.W. Botha
    b) F.W. de Klerk
    c) Hendrik Verwoerd
    d) B.J. Vorster
47. On what date was Nelson Mandela finally released from prison?
    a) April 27, 1994
    b) February 2, 1990
    c) February 11, 1990
    d) May 10, 1994
48. In 1993, Mandela and F.W. de Klerk jointly received what international award?
    a) The Nobel Peace Prize
    b) The Presidential Medal of Freedom
    c) The Liberty Medal
    d) The UN Human Rights Prize
49. In the first fully democratic election in South Africa, when did Mandela vote for the first time?
    a) 1992
    b) 1993
    c) 1994
    d) 1990
50. On what date was Nelson Mandela inaugurated as President of South Africa?
    a) February 11, 1990
    b) April 27, 1994
    c) May 10, 1994
    d) December 10, 1993
51. What symbolic gesture did Mandela make to promote reconciliation during his presidency?
    a) Wearing a Springbok jersey at the 1995 Rugby World Cup
    b) Appointing only black ministers
    c) Renaming all cities
    d) Establishing a national holiday in his name
52. Who was the Archbishop that chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission?
    a) Archbishop Tutu
    b) Archbishop Ndungane
    c) Archbishop Makgoba
    d) Archbishop Buthelezi
53. How many years did Mandela serve as President?
    a) One term (5 years)
    b) Two terms (10 years)
    c) Three terms (15 years)
    d) Four years
54. After retiring from the presidency, what issue did Mandela focus on?
    a) Climate change
    b) HIV/AIDS awareness
    c) Space exploration
    d) Nuclear disarmament
55. When did Nelson Mandela pass away?
    a) December 5, 2013
    b) July 18, 2013
    c) April 27, 2013
    d) February 11, 2013
56. How old was Mandela when he died?
    a) 90 years old
    b) 92 years old
    c) 95 years old
    d) 85 years old
57. The United Nations declared which date as “Nelson Mandela International Day”?
    a) The day he was released (Feb 11)
    b) The day he was born (July 18)
    c) The day he was inaugurated (May 10)
    d) The day he died (Dec 5)
58. What is the central message of Mandela International Day?
    a) To celebrate his life
    b) To donate money to charity
    c) To take 67 minutes to help others, symbolizing his 67 years of public service
    d) To protest against injustice
59. Which of Mandela’s autobiographies is titled “Long Walk to Freedom”?
    a) His prison diary
    b) His presidential memoirs
    c) A biography written by his friend
    d) His official autobiography published in 1994
60. Mandela’s statement, “Education is the most powerful weapon…” emphasizes its power to do what?
    a) Secure high-paying jobs
    b) Defeat enemies
    c) Change the world
    d) Gain political power
61. In his speech, Mandela mentions he was influenced by Marxist thought but clarifies that:
    a) He was a dedicated communist.
    b) The ANC was a communist organization.
    c) He was not a Marxist.
    d) Only communism could save South Africa.
62. Mandela states that the two main features of African life under apartheid were:
    a) Injustice and oppression
    b) Poverty and lack of human dignity
    c) Fear and hatred
    d) Ignorance and disease
63. According to Mandela’s speech, what did the government do to hinder African education?
    a) Banned all schools
    b) Stopped subsidies for school feeding
    c) Arrested all teachers
    d) Burned down libraries
64. Mandela argues that Africans are poor not just in absolute terms, but by comparison to whom?
    a) People in other African countries
    b) White people in their own country
    c) International standards
    d) Their own ancestors
65. What does Mandela identify as the root cause of the lack of human dignity for Africans?
    a) Poor education
    b) The policy of white supremacy
    c) Economic inequality
    d) Communist agitation
66. The ANC was formed in 1912 to defend African rights threatened by which Act?
    a) The Group Areas Act
    b) The Native Land Act
    c) The Pass Laws Act
    d) The Bantu Education Act
67. For its first 37 years, the ANC primarily adhered to what kind of struggle?
    a) An armed struggle
    b) A constitutional struggle
    c) An international lobbying struggle
    d) An economic boycott struggle
68. What event in 1960 resulted in a state of emergency and the banning of the ANC?
    a) The Rivonia arrests
    b) The Defiance Campaign
    c) The Sharpeville Massacre
    d) Mandela’s arrest
69. Mandela states that the ANC’s fight is against:
    a) The white population
    b) The government officials
    c) Real hardships, not imaginary ones
    d) Foreign imperialists
70. What was the name of the speech from which the line “I am prepared to die” comes?
    a) The Rivonia Trial Speech
    b) The “I am the First Accused” Speech
    c) The “An Ideal for Which I Am Prepared to Die” Speech
    d) All of the above refer to the same speech.
71. What was Oliver Tambo’s primary role during Mandela’s imprisonment?
    a) He was also imprisoned.
    b) He led the ANC in exile.
    c) He became a government minister.
    d) He retired from politics.
72. Which international sporting event, held in South Africa, became a symbol of the “Rainbow Nation”?
    a) The 1996 African Cup of Nations
    b) The 1995 Rugby World Cup
    c) The 2003 Cricket World Cup
    d) The 2010 FIFA World Cup
73. What was the name of Mandela’s second wife?
    a) Evelyn Mase
    b) Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
    c) Graça Machel
    d) Zenani Mandela
74. How many children did Nelson Mandela have?
    a) Four
    b) Five
    c) Six
    d) Seven
75. Which award did Mandela receive from the Indian government?
    a) The Order of Merit
    b) The Bharat Ratna
    c) The Padma Vibhushan
    d) The Nishan-e-Pakistan
76. What is the name of the foundation Mandela established after his presidency?
    a) The Mandela Rhodes Foundation
    b) The Nelson Mandela Foundation
    c) The Mandela Children’s Fund
    d) The 46664 Campaign
77. The number “46664” was used by Mandela for a campaign focused on:
    a) Prisoner rights
    b) HIV/AIDS awareness
    c) Literacy
    d) Poverty alleviation
78. Which world leader was a close friend and ally of Mandela?
    a) Margaret Thatcher
    b) Fidel Castro
    c) Ronald Reagan
    d) All of the above
79. What significant constitutional change occurred during Mandela’s presidency?
    a) The adoption of a new, democratic constitution
    b) The abolition of the constitution
    c) The return to a colonial-era constitution
    d) The suspension of the constitution
80. What was the name of the policy of racial segregation Mandela fought against?
    a) Colonialism
    b) Imperialism
    c) Apartheid
    d) Tribalism
81. In which city is the Nelson Mandela Square, featuring a statue of him, located?
    a) Johannesburg
    b) Cape Town
    c) Durban
    d) Pretoria
82. Which university awarded Mandela an honorary doctorate?
    a) Harvard University
    b) Oxford University
    c) University of Pretoria
    d) Over 50 universities worldwide
83. What was the title of the 2009 film based on Mandela’s life and the Rugby World Cup?
    a) “Cry Freedom”
    b) “Invictus”
    c) “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
    d) “Goodbye Bafana”
84. What was the main criticism Mandela faced from some black South Africans after becoming president?
    a) Moving too slowly on economic reform
    b) Being too conciliatory towards whites
    c) Authoritarian leadership
    d) Neglecting the rural areas
85. Mandela’s principle of “Ubuntu” can be best described as:
    a) “I am because we are.”
    b) “Survival of the fittest.”
    c) “An eye for an eye.”
    d) “Every man for himself.”
86. Which famous quote is attributed to Mandela? (“It always seems impossible…”)
    a) “…until it’s done.”
    b) “…until you try.”
    c) “…but it can be achieved.”
    d) “…so why bother?”
87. Where did Mandela give his first speech after being released from prison?
    a) In front of the Parliament in Cape Town
    b) At the Union Buildings in Pretoria
    c) At FNB Stadium in Soweto
    d) From the balcony of Cape Town’s City Hall
88. What was the name of the report that documented human rights abuses under apartheid?
    a) The Rivonia Report
    b) The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report
    c) The Sharpeville Report
    d) The ANC Commission Report
89. Which country’s leader did Mandela thank for supporting the anti-apartheid struggle during his inaugural address?
    a) The United States
    b) The United Kingdom
    c) Cuba
    d) China
90. What was a key economic policy introduced during Mandela’s presidency to redress inequality?
    a) Nationalization of all industries
    b) The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP)
    c) Austerity measures
    d) Free market deregulation
91. Which prison was Mandela held in just before his release, and where he had a garden?
    a) Robben Island
    b) Pollsmoor Prison
    c) Victor Verster Prison
    d) Pretoria Local Prison
92. What was the nickname given to Mandela by his people?
    a) The Father of the Nation
    b) The Great Leader
    c) The Supreme Chief
    d) The King of South Africa
93. Which award did Mandela receive from the Soviet Union (now Russia)?
    a) The Order of Friendship
    b) The International Stalin Prize
    c) The Lenin Peace Prize
    d) The Hero of the Soviet Union
94. What language group does Mandela’s native tongue, Xhosa, belong to?
    a) Germanic
    b) Romance
    c) Bantu
    d) Khoisan
95. What distinctive item of clothing did Mandela often wear?
    a) A three-piece suit
    b) A dashiki
    c) A Madiba shirt
    d) A military uniform
96. In which year was the “Free Nelson Mandela” song by The Special AKA released?
    a) 1980
    b) 1984
    c) 1990
    d) 1986
97. What was the name of the 2013 biographical film based on “Long Walk to Freedom”?
    a) “Invictus”
    b) “Mandela”
    c) “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
    d) “The Prisoner of Hope”
98. Which famous boxer did Mandela meet and admire?
    a) Mike Tyson
    b) Muhammad Ali
    c) Joe Frazier
    d) George Foreman
99. What was the name of the university that Mandela attended through a correspondence program while in prison?
    a) University of London
    b) University of South Africa (UNISA)
    c) Open University
    d) University of Cape Town

100.What is the title of the book of Mandela’s collected letters from prison?
a) “Conversations with Myself”
b) “The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela”
c) “Letters from Robben Island”
d) “A Voice from the Dungeon”

Here are the answers for the 100 MCQ questions:

1. c) Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela
2. b) “Troublemaker”
3. a) Madiba
4. c) Mvezo
5. c) A chief
6. b) Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo
7. c) University of Fort Hare
8. b) For participating in a student protest
9. c) Law
10. d) Oliver Tambo
11. b) 1944
12. b) The Youth League
13. c) A more radical approach against apartheid
14. b) The Defiance Campaign
15. b) Peaceful, non-violent protest
16. b) A suspended sentence
17. b) It banned the organization.
18. b) It went underground.
19. b) The formation of a military wing
20. b) Spear of the Nation (Umkhonto we Sizwe)
21. c) First Commander-in-Chief
22. d) To gain international support and military training for the ANC
23. b) 17 months
24. c) Howick, KwaZulu-Natal
25. c) Inciting workers’ strikes and leaving the country illegally
26. b) The Rivonia Trial
27. b) A farm in Rivonia
28. b) Sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government
29. d) The death penalty
30. a) Percy Yutar
31. b) Bram Fischer
32. a) “I am the First Accused.”
33. c) His experience in South Africa and his African background
34. c) A combination of Western and Eastern thought
35. c) The ideal of a democratic and free society with equal opportunities
36. a) “It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
37. b) Guilty, with a sentence of life imprisonment
38. b) Oliver Tambo
39. c) Robben Island
40. b) 18 years
41. b) 466/64
42. b) Breaking rocks in a limestone quarry
43. b) Pollsmoor Prison
44. b) He must renounce the armed struggle.
45. b) He rejected it, stating that the people’s freedom was more important than his own.
46. b) F.W. de Klerk
47. c) February 11, 1990
48. a) The Nobel Peace Prize
49. c) 1994
50. c) May 10, 1994
51. a) Wearing a Springbok jersey at the 1995 Rugby World Cup
52. a) Archbishop Tutu
53. a) One term (5 years)
54. b) HIV/AIDS awareness
55. a) December 5, 2013
56. c) 95 years old
57. b) The day he was born (July 18)
58. c) To take 67 minutes to help others, symbolizing his 67 years of public service
59. d) His official autobiography published in 1994
60. c) Change the world
61. c) He was not a Marxist.
62. b) Poverty and lack of human dignity
63. b) Stopped subsidies for school feeding
64. b) White people in their own country
65. b) The policy of white supremacy
66. b) The Native Land Act
67. b) A constitutional struggle
68. c) The Sharpeville Massacre
69. c) Real hardships, not imaginary ones
70. d) All of the above refer to the same speech.
71. b) He led the ANC in exile.
72. b) The 1995 Rugby World Cup
73. b) Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
74. c) Six
75. b) The Bharat Ratna
76. b) The Nelson Mandela Foundation
77. b) HIV/AIDS awareness
78. b) Fidel Castro
79. a) The adoption of a new, democratic constitution
80. c) Apartheid
81. a) Johannesburg
82. d) Over 50 universities worldwide
83. b) “Invictus”
84. b) Being too conciliatory towards whites
85. a) “I am because we are.”
86. a) “…until it’s done.”
87. d) From the balcony of Cape Town’s City Hall
88. b) The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report
89. c) Cuba
90. b) The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP)
91. c) Victor Verster Prison
92. a) The Father of the Nation
93. c) The Lenin Peace Prize
94. c) Bantu
95. c) A Madiba shirt
96. b) 1984
97. c) “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
98. b) Muhammad Ali
99. b) University of South Africa (UNISA)
100. b) “The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela”

Here are 50 WH questions based on the biography and speech of Nelson Mandela:

1. What was Nelson Mandela’s birth name?
2. What is the meaning of the name “Rolihlahla”?
3. Where was Nelson Mandela born?
4. Who became Mandela’s guardian after his father’s death?
5. Which university did Mandela initially attend?
6. Why was Mandela expelled from university?
7. What did Mandela study in Johannesburg?
8. With whom did Mandela establish South Africa’s first black-owned law firm?
9. When did Mandela join the African National Congress (ANC)?
10. What was the primary goal of the ANC Youth League that Mandela helped found?
11. What was the main strategy of the Defiance Campaign in the 1950s?
12. What was Mandela’s sentence for his role in the Defiance Campaign?
13. How did the ANC respond to being banned after the Sharpeville Massacre?
14. What was the name of the ANC’s armed wing, formed on Mandela’s advice?
15. What was Mandela’s role in the armed wing?
16. Why did Mandela secretly leave South Africa in 1962?
17. Where was Mandela arrested in 1962?
18. What was he initially convicted and sentenced for in 1962?
19. What was the main charge against Mandela in the Rivonia Trial?
20. What was the maximum penalty Mandela and his co-accused faced?
21. Who was the lead prosecutor in the Rivonia Trial?
22. How did Mandela begin his famous speech from the dock?
23. What did Mandela state as the motivation for his actions?
24. What ideal did Mandela express in his Rivonia Trial speech?
25. How did Mandela conclude his statement about this ideal?
26. What was the final verdict in the Rivonia Trial?
27. To which prison was Mandela initially sent?
28. What was Mandela’s prisoner number on Robben Island?
29. What was the primary form of hard labor Mandela endured on Robben Island?
30. Why were Mandela and other senior leaders transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in 1982?
31. What condition did President P.W. Botha attach to an offer of release in 1985?
32. How did Mandela respond to the conditional offer of release?
33. Who initiated the secret talks that ultimately led to Mandela’s release?
34. On what date was Nelson Mandela finally released from prison?
35. What award did Mandela and F.W. de Klerk jointly receive in 1993?
36. When was the first fully democratic election in South Africa held?
37. When was Nelson Mandela inaugurated as President?
38. What symbolic gesture did Mandela make at the 1995 Rugby World Cup?
39. Who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission?
40. How long did Mandela serve as President of South Africa?
41. What major health issue did Mandela focus on after his presidency?
42. When did Nelson Mandela pass away?
43. How old was Mandela when he died?
44. Why did the United Nations declare July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day?
45. What is the central call to action associated with Mandela Day?
46. What are the two main features of African life under apartheid that Mandela identified in his speech?
47. According to Mandela’s speech, how did the government specifically hinder African education?
48. What does Mandela identify as the root cause of the lack of human dignity for Africans?
49. For how many years did the ANC adhere to a strictly constitutional struggle before 1949?
50. What event in 1960 led to the declaration of a state of emergency and the banning of the ANC?

Here are the two-sentence answers for the 50 WH questions:

1. His birth name was Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela. He was given the English name “Nelson” by a teacher on his first day of school.
2. The name “Rolihlahla” roughly translates to “pulling the branch of a tree.” It is often colloquially interpreted as “troublemaker.”
3. He was born in the small village of Mvezo in the Transkei region of South Africa. His father was a chief and counselor to the ruling king of the Thembu people.
4. After his father’s death, he was placed under the guardianship of Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo. The chief raised him in the provincial capital, Mqhekezweni.
5. He initially attended the University of Fort Hare, which was a premier institution for black South Africans at the time. He studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree there.
6. He was expelled from the University of Fort Hare for participating in a student protest against university policies. This was a pivotal moment that shaped his activist path.
7. In Johannesburg, he completed his BA through correspondence and began studying law at the University of the Witwatersrand. He was the only black African student in the law faculty.
8. He established the first black-owned law firm in South Africa with his friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo. The firm was dedicated to representing black South Africans affected by apartheid laws.
9. He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944. This decision marked the beginning of his lifelong commitment to the liberation struggle.
10. The primary goal of the ANC Youth League was to advocate for a more radical and militant approach against the apartheid regime. They felt the older generation’s methods were too passive.
11. The main strategy was peaceful, non-violent protest and civil disobedience against unjust apartheid laws. Thousands of people deliberately broke racial laws to overcrowd prisons and highlight injustice.
12. His sentence was a nine-month suspension of imprisonment, which was a suspended sentence. The judge noted the disciplined and non-violent nature of the campaign.
13. The ANC refused to dissolve and instead went underground to continue its activities secretly. It also began to formally consider armed struggle as a necessary strategy.
14. The armed wing was named “Umkhonto we Sizwe,” which means “Spear of the Nation.” It was established in 1961 with Mandela as its first commander-in-chief.
15. He was the co-founder and first Commander-in-Chief of Umkhonto we Sizwe. In this role, he oversaw its initial strategy and operations.
16. He left to gain international support for the ANC’s struggle and to receive military training for the newly formed armed wing. He traveled across Africa and to London.
17. He was arrested at a police roadblock near Howick in Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal). He had been disguised as a chauffeur.
18. He was convicted for inciting workers to strike and for leaving the country without a valid passport. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
19. The main charge was sabotage and conspiring to overthrow the government. This was a capital offense, meaning it could carry the death penalty.
20. The maximum penalty was death by hanging. The prosecution explicitly called for this sentence.
21. The lead prosecutor was Dr. Percy Yutar. He argued the case for the state with great vigor.
22. He began by stating, “I am the First Accused.” This simple declaration asserted his leadership role and acceptance of responsibility.
23. He stated that his actions were motivated by his own experience of oppression in South Africa and his proud African heritage. He explicitly denied being influenced by foreigners.
24. He expressed the ideal of a democratic and free society where all people live together in harmony with equal opportunities. This vision became the cornerstone of the new South Africa.
25. He concluded, “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.”
26. The verdict was guilty on all four counts of sabotage. The sentence was life imprisonment, avoiding the death penalty.
27. He was initially sent to the maximum-security prison on Robben Island. This would become his home for the next 18 years.
28. His prisoner number was 466/64. The number 466 indicated he was the 466th prisoner admitted in 1964.
29. He was forced to break rocks in a limestone quarry under the harsh sun. The blinding glare from the lime permanently damaged his eyesight.
30. The official reason was to remove the influential leaders from the general prison population on Robben Island. It is also believed the government wanted to cut off their communication with the outside world.
31. The condition was that he must renounce the armed struggle as a political weapon. The government wanted him to publicly advocate for peace on its terms.
32. He rejected the offer outright. In a message read by his daughter, he stated that only free men can negotiate and that his people’s freedom was more important than his own.
33. President F.W. de Klerk, who succeeded P.W. Botha, initiated the secret talks. He authorized meetings between government officials and Mandela in prison.
34. He was released on February 11, 1990, after 27 years in prison. The event was broadcast live to a global audience.
35. They were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. This recognized their efforts for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime.
36. The first fully democratic election was held on April 27, 1994. This date is now celebrated as Freedom Day in South Africa.
37. He was inaugurated as President on May 10, 1994. The ceremony took place at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
38. He wore a Springbok jersey, the symbol of the white-dominated national rugby team, and presented the trophy to the winning team captain. This gesture powerfully promoted racial reconciliation.
39. The commission was chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Its purpose was to investigate human rights abuses from the apartheid era.
40. He served one five-year term as President, from 1994 to 1999. He chose not to run for a second term.
41. He focused intensely on the fight against HIV/AIDS, a pandemic affecting millions in South Africa. He worked to break the stigma surrounding the disease.
42. He passed away on December 5, 2013, at his home in Johannesburg. He was 95 years old.
43. He was 95 years old when he died. His death was announced by the then President, Jacob Zuma.
44. The UN declared it to honor his lifelong dedication to peace, freedom, and social justice. The day celebrates the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world.
45. The call to action is to devote 67 minutes to helping others. This number symbolizes the 67 years Mandela spent fighting for social justice.
46. He identified poverty and the lack of human dignity as the two hallmarks. He argued these were direct results of the apartheid system.
47. He cited the government’s act of stopping subsidies for school feeding schemes. This cruel measure deprived many poor African children of a vital nutritional supplement.
48. He identified the policy of white supremacy as the root cause. This policy, enshrined in law, implied black inferiority and systematically denied them dignity.
49. The ANC adhered to a strictly constitutional struggle for 37 years, from its founding in 1912 until 1949. During this time, it used petitions, delegations, and resolutions.
50. The Sharpeville Massacre, where police killed 69 peaceful protesters, led to the state of emergency. The government used the event to ban the ANC and the PAC.