Saving Nelson Mandela PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN WORLD HISTORY This series examines choices made at historical turning points—and the figures who made them—and reveals the effect these choices had, and continue to have, on the course of world events. Americanos Latin America’s Struggle for Independence John Charles Chasteen A Most Holy War The Albigensian Crusade and the Battle for Christendom Mark Gregory Pegg Saving Nelson Mandela The Rivonia Trial and the Fate of South Africa Kenneth S. Broun Saving Nelson Mandela The Rivonia Trial and the Fate of South Africa KENNETH S. BROUN Oxford University Press, Inc., publishes works that further Oxford University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education. Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Copyright © 2012 by Kenneth S. Broun Published by Oxford University Press, Inc. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 www.oup.com Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Broun, Kenneth S. Saving Nelson Mandela : [the Rivonia trial and the fate of South Africa / Kenneth S. Broun]. p. cm.—(Pivotal moments in world history) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-19974022-2 1. Rivonia Trial, Pretoria, South Africa, 1964. 2. Mandela, Nelson, 1918– Trials, litigation, etc. 3. Trials (Political crimes and offenses)—South Africa. 4. South Africa—History—1961–1994. I. Title. II. Series: Pivotal moments in world history. KTL42.R58B76 2012 345.680231—dc23 2011026021 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper To Margie and to the Rivonia Trial defendants and their lawyers Contents People Involved in the Rivonia Trial Introduction 1. Arrests and Escapes 2. The Lawyers and the Judge 3. Reaction 4. Preparing for Trial 5. The Trial Begins 6. A Pyrrhic Victory 7. The Case for the Prosecution 8. Mandela at the Dock 9. Others Make Their Case 10. Closing Arguments 11. Outside Pressures 12. Judgment and Sentencing 13. Reaction 14. Thinking about the Judgment and Sentence 15. After Rivonia Acknowledgments Notes Selected Bibliography Index People Involved in the Rivonia Trial Defendants THE defendants in the Rivonia Trial were listed in the indictment as Accused 1 through 10 and usually referred to at the trial by their numbers rather than their names. 1. Nelson Mandela 2. Walter Sisulu 3. Denis Goldberg 4. Govan Mbeki 5. Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada 6. Lionel “Rusty” Bernstein 7. Raymond Mhlaba 8. James Kantor 9. Elias Motsoaledi 10. Andrew Mlangeni Defense lawyers Bram Fischer, advocate (lead counsel) Vernon Berrange, advocate George Bizos, advocate Arthur Chaskalson, advocate Joel Joffe, attorney Harold Hanson, advocate George Lowen, advocate H. C. Nicholas, advocate Prosecutors Percy Yutar, deputy attorney general, Transvaal