Time In Prison By Nelson Mandela

Time in Prison

The Midnight of 12 June 1964 from the Rivonia Trial flown to Robben Island, also known as Alcatraz Devil’s Island. Prison discipline was inhumane, harsh and cruel “batons rained down on us” wrote Mandela’s friend Ahmed Kathrada. Many of the Warders were Afrikaners who were openly racist, they abused and humiliated prisoners without end. The Warders would say “Dis die Eialard. Hier julle gaan vrek” which translated to “This is the Island. Here you die.” It was known to prisoners as “The Island”. Here Nelson Mandela was given a 6 feet cell. Forced to hard labor for 13 years, most of the time was spent outside digging limestone. The sun’s reflection off of the limestone damaged Mandela’s eyes. For years he asked for sunglasses, after long 3 years he received them. Nelson Mandela was a strong man who resisted all of his time in prison. He became a sort of father figure to

Klerk unbanned the ANC and released some political prisoners on 2 February 1990. Released 11 February 1990 “Ten thousand days of imprisonment” he thought after being released. For the last few years of imprisonment he entered into talks with apartheid leaders, but would refuse any release that ignored the ignored the democratic rights of his people. Now the sanctions that were set against South Africa to pressure the release of Mandela was sending the country into turmoil. Everyone was looking towards Mandela, to see if he could do what so many before him had failed to end apartheid and bring peace to the country. Over the following years he led the transition into democracy. He traveled over the world visiting countries that participated with his release, thanking them, everywhere he went he was welcomed as a hero. He later returned to his hometown Soweto where he addressed people at the Orlando Football Stadium. Urging children to return to school, “to arm themselves with the most powerful weapons of modern times – education, and