The Rivonia Trial (1963 and 1964)_, often referred to as the "trial that changed South Africa". In October 1963, ten leaders of the National Congress were tried for 221 acts of sabotage (any underhand interference with production, work, etc in a plant, factory, etc.) designed to overthrow the apartheid system. There was a possibility of a death penalty over the trial.
The ANC leader at the time was Nelson Mandela, and he ended up serving 27 years in prison as a result of this trial.
4 broad charges:
- recruiting persons for training for use of explosives and in guerrilla warfare for the purpose of violent acts of revolution
- conspiring to commit these acts and help foreign military units when they invaded the Republic
- Acting in ways that further the objects of communism
- Soliciting and receiving money for these purposes from sympathizers outside of South Africa
At the end of the trial the judge sentenced nine of the ten to life in prison rather than death.
The Rivonia Trial (1963 and 1964)_, often referred to as the "trial that changed South Africa". In October 1963, ten leaders of the National Congress were tried for 221 acts of sabotage (any underhand interference with production, work, etc in a plant, factory, etc.) designed to overthrow the apartheid system. There was a possibility of a death penalty over the trial.
The ANC leader at the time was Nelson Mandela, and he ended up serving 27 years in prison as a result of this trial.
4 broad charges:
- recruiting persons for training for use of explosives and in guerrilla warfare for the purpose of violent acts of revolution
- conspiring to commit these acts and help foreign military units when they invaded the Republic
- Acting in ways that further the objects of communism
- Soliciting and receiving money for these purposes from sympathizers outside of South Africa
At the end of the trial the judge sentenced nine of the ten to life in prison rather than death.
Source:
http://overcomingapartheid.msu.edu/multimedia.php?id=65-259-10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivonia_Trial
http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/rivonia-trial-1963-1964
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sabotage
Picture:
http://yijihae.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/rivonia1.jpg%3Fw%3D489%26h%3D327