Today in History: Call for Mandela’s release after 20 years in captivity
In 1982, 20 years after his incarceration, there was an appeal for the release of Nelson Mandela.
After Nelson Mandela had been incarcerated for 20 years, the ‘anniversary’ of his imprisonment was marked by a call for his release from China and other world leaders.
The call was publicised in the Communist Party of China’s publication, The People’s Daily, as well as an appeal signed by more than 2 000 mayors from 53 countries which was made public by the United Nations Centre Against Apartheid in New York.
Mandela’s long-term incarceration began when he was captured in Cedara, a small town near Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, shortly after his return to South Africa upon completing six months’ military training in Oujda, Morocco, and after attending the All Africa People’s Conference in Ethiopia.
He was charged with incitement to strike and with illegally leaving the country. Bob Hepple acted as his legal representative. His trial took place in Pretoria’s Old Synagogue. In November 1962, he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on the charges. He began his sentence in Johannesburg’s Marshall Square prison, before being moved to Robben Island after the Rivonia Trial.
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