Rivonia Trial

The Rivonia Trial was a trial that took place in South Africa between 1963 and 1964. Ten leaders of the African National Congress were tried for 221 acts of sabotage designed to overthrow the apartheid system. This trial was held after the police raid on the MK base in Rivonia, where documents related to the 10 accused men were found. One of the men was the future President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. After the trial, Mandela was taken to jail in Robben Island.

The chief prosecutor was Dr. Percy Yutar, deputy attorney-general of the Transvaal.

The presiding judge was Dr. Quartus de Wet, judge-president of the Transvaal.

 Arrests 

Among the arrested were:

 Nelson Mandela
 Walter Sisulu
 Govan Mbeki
 Raymond Mhlaba
 Andrew Mlangeni
 Elias Motsoaledi, trade union and ANC member
 Ahmed Kathrada
 Denis Goldberg, a Cape Town engineer and leader of the Congress of Democrats
 Lionel "Rusty" Bernstein, architect and member of the South African Communist Party (SACP)
 Bob Hepple
 Arthur Goldreich
 Harold Wolpe, prominent attorney and activist
 James "Jimmy" Kantor, brother-in-law of Harold Wolpe

Most of the Rivonia defendants were to be convicted, and in turn sentenced to life imprisonment.

Other websites
 "The Rivonia Trial " - article by Sunder Katwala from The Observer, dated Sunday, 11 February 2001
 ANC history 
 On the trail of Mandela's handgun
 Rivonia Unmasked The prosecutor's account of the Rivonia Trial.
 Historical Papers of the Rivonia Trial, Digital Collection at the University of the Witwatersrand.
 Rivonia Trial Images

Category:1963
Category:1964 in Africa
Category:Nelson Mandela
Category:20th century in South Africa