page_title: Rivonia Trial
section_title: Origins
hierarchical_section_title: Rivonia Trial / Origins
caption_attribution_description: English: The thatched room at Liliesleaf Farm, Rivonia, where several ANC activists were meeting when the police raided the Farm in 1963 (Winston Avenue, Rivonia, Johannesburg)
context_page_description: The Rivonia Trial took place in South Africa between 9 October 1963 and 12 June 1964. The Rivonia Trial led to the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela and the others among the accused who were convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life at the Palace of Justice, Pretoria.
context_section_description: The Rivonia Trial took its name from Rivonia, the suburb of Johannesburg where leaders had been arrested (and documents discovered) at Liliesleaf Farm, privately owned by Arthur Goldreich,  on 11 July 1963. Various people and groups, including the African National Congress, had been using the farm as a hideout. Among others, Nelson Mandela had moved onto the farm in October 1961 and evaded security police while masquerading as a gardener and cook called David Motsamayi (meaning "David the walker").
  "The Rivonia raid was a stunning and welcome development for most white South Africans—a major breakthrough in the nation's fight against terrorism."
  Men such as Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and other high commanders of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) said on their previous meeting that on the 11th of July they will hold their last meeting in the farm the agenda would be Mayibuye and the new place for their next meetings.
  Nelson Mandela was already imprisoned on 5 August 1962; on 11 July at their last meeting at 3:00 pm Lionel Bernstein, Denis Goldberg, Arthur Goldreich, Bob Hepple, Abdulhay Jassat, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Andrew Mlangeni, Moosa Moolla, Elias Motsoaledi, Walter Sisulu and Harold Wolpe were all arrested by South African Police. Other key leaders such as Oliver Tambo, Moses Kotane, Joe Slovo, Moses Mabhida, Stephen Dlamini, Joe Modise, Alfred Nzo, Wilton Mkwayi and others were not at the farm at the time of the arrests.
   The arrest of the MK high command members resulted in them being sentenced to life imprisonment, to others being arrested and to others going into exile.
caption: The thatched room at Liliesleaf Farm
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