1962 – Nelson Mandela is Arrested

On 5 August 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested near Howick in Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal), bringing to an end almost seventeen months of living underground as South Africa's most wanted political activist. Travelling disguised as a chauffeur under the name David Motsamayi, Mandela had recently returned from a secret journey across Africa and to London, where he had sought support for the African National Congress (ANC) and received military training as Commander-in-Chief of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). Chatham House

Mandela was charged with leaving South Africa illegally and inciting workers to strike. Following his trial in Pretoria, he was sentenced in November 1962 to five years' imprisonment. Before completing that sentence, he was brought before the Rivonia Trial, where he and seven others received life imprisonment for sabotage in June 1964. His arrest on this day marked the beginning of more than 27 years in prison, most of them spent on Robben Island, before his release in February 1990. Nelson Mandela Foundation

Kimberley's Connection

Although Nelson Mandela was arrested hundreds of kilometres from Kimberley, the city played an important role in South Africa's long journey to democracy. Kimberley was the home of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, founder of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), who practised as a lawyer in the city until his death in 1978. The Northern Cape also produced many activists, trade unionists and community leaders who opposed apartheid throughout the twentieth century.

Mandela himself visited Kimberley on 17 September 1994, just a few months after South Africa's first democratic elections. During a major public gathering, he thanked the people of Kimberley and the Northern Cape for their support during the historic election that had brought the African National Congress to power. His visit symbolised a new era for a city that had witnessed both the inequalities of the diamond industry and the struggles against apartheid.

Mandela returned to Kimberley in September 1998, reinforcing the city's place within the democratic South Africa he had helped to build. By then, Kimberley had become the capital of the newly established Northern Cape Province and was embracing its role in the country's future while preserving its remarkable past.

Did You Know?

When Nelson Mandela was arrested on 5 August 1962, he had been travelling under the alias David Motsamayi and was disguised as a chauffeur. His ability to evade capture for more than a year had earned him the nickname "The Black Pimpernel."