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Saving Nelson Mandela : the Rivonia trial and the fate of South Africa
Discusses the trials of Nelson Mandela and the politics of South Africa.
BOOK
Saving Nelson Mandela : the Rivonia trial and the fate of South Africa
When South Africa's apartheid government charged Nelson Mandela with planning its overthrow in 1963, most observers feared that he would be sentenced to death. But the support he and his fellow activists in the African National Congress received during his trial not only saved his life, but also enabled him to save his country. This book recreates the trial—called the “Rivonia” Trial after the Johannesburg suburb where police seized Mandela. Based upon interviews with many of the case's primary figures and portions of the trial transcript, the book situates readers inside the courtroom at the imposing Palace of Justice in Pretoria. Here, the trial unfolds through a dramatic narrative that captures the courage of the accused and their defense team, as well as the personal prejudices that colored the entire trial. The Rivonia trial had no jury and only a superficial aura of due process, combined with heavy security that symbolized the apartheid government's system of repression. The book shows how outstanding advocacy, combined with widespread public support, in fact backfired on apartheid leaders, who sealed their own fate. Despite his twenty-seven-year incarceration, Mandela's ultimate release helped move his country from the racial tyranny of apartheid toward democracy.
eBook
MAKING A CASE FOR WAR
The book, a gripping account of the last important trial of the apartheid era, is filled with personal accounts from the perspective of all those involved, most importantly the accused themselves. The author's account of the role of the trial judge, Marius de Klerk, provides a model for the beginnings of the transformation of South Africa. Yet, over the course of the trial, the judge was sufficiently transformed to be able to understand the defendants' state of mind.
Book Review
Teaching Advocacy the N.I.T.A. Way
Young lawyers need opportunities to learn trial techniques
Journal Article
Mandela at the Dock
This chapter focuses on the defense team's decision to have Nelson Mandela make a statement to the court rather than testify during the Rivonia Trial. The most crucial decision the defense needed to make is whether or not to have the accused give testimony as witnesses. If the accused elect not to testify, the prosecution cannot require them to take the witness stand. Mandela, his fellow defendants, and their lawyers faced a dilemma: If they testified truthfully, most would have to admit to enough charges to ensure their conviction. But if they do not testify, they would lose the opportunity to make their case against apartheid. George Bizos of the defense team persuaded the others that most of the accused should testify. In his statement, Mandela would admit to many of the acts charged in the indictment, deny others, and make his case.
Book Chapter
Others Make Their Case
This chapter focuses on the defendants' testimonies in the Rivonia Trial. Walter Sisulu was the first defense witness. His testimony was very important for the defense, largely because he was the most familiar with the activities of the African National Congress and Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) leading up to the Rivonia raid by the government security police. This chapter also looks at the cross-examination of Sisulu and other defendants by Percy Yutar of the prosecution.
Book Chapter
The Case for the Prosecution
This chapter examines the case for the prosecution in the Rivonia Trial. On the first day of the trial, the defendants entered their pleas and Percy Yutar of the prosecution team delivered an opening address. All of them revealed much about the strategy and goals of each side. Quartus de Wet, the presiding judge, was annoyed by the defendants' pleas of not guilty, while Yutar appeared horrified. In his opening, as throughout the trial, Yutar argued that all planning was done by leaders of the African National Congress in close cooperation with leaders of the Communist Party of South Africa, citing documents as evidence of sabotage.
Book Chapter