South African History Online

'I am not prepared to sell the birthright of the people to be free'

On 31 January 1985 the State President of South Africa, PW Botha,
speaking in parliament, offered Mandela his freedom on condition that he
'unconditionally rejected violence as a political weapon'.

This was the sixth offer of release reported to have been made to
Mandela. Previous offers were conditional on his going to live in the Transkei
bantustan. He rejected them all on the grounds that he rejected the bantustans
and all who collaborated in their establishment and maintenance.

Mandela's response to the latest offer was read on his behalf by his
daughter Zinzi to a mass meeting in Jabulani Stadium, Soweto, on 10 February,
1985.

This text was published by the ANC in London.

On Friday my mother and our attorney saw my father at Pollsmoor
Prison to obtain his answer to Botha's offer of conditional release. The prison
authorities attempted to stop this statement being made but he would have none
of this and made it clear that he would make the statement to you, the
people.

Strangers like Bethell from England and Professor Dash from the
United States have in recent weeks been authorised by Pretoria to see my father
without restriction, yet Pretoria cannot allow you, the people, to hear what he
has to say directly. He should be here himself to tell you what he thinks of
this statement by Botha. He is not allowed to do so. My mother, who also heard
his words, is also not allowed to speak to you today.

My father and his comrades at Pollsmoor Prison send their
greetings to you, the freedom-loving people of this our tragic land, in the full
confidence that you will carry on the struggle for freedom. He and his comrades
at Pollsmoor Prison send their very warmest greetings to Bishop Desmond Tutu.
Bishop Tutu has made it clear to the world that the Nobel Peace Prize belongs to
you who are the people. We salute him.

My father and his comrades at Pollsmoor Prison are grateful to
the United Democratic Front who without hesitation made this venue available to
them so that they could speak to you today. my father and his comrades wish to
make this statement to you, the people, first. They are clear that they are
accountable to you and to you alone. And that you should hear their views
directly and not through others. My father speaks not only for himself and for
his comrades at Pollsmoor Prison, but he hopes he also speaks for all those in
jail for their opposition to apartheid, for all those who are banished, for all
those who are in exile, for all those who suffer under apartheid, for all those
who are opponents of apartheid and for all those who are oppressed and
exploited.

Throughout our struggle there have been puppets who have
claimed to speak for you. They have made this claim, both here and abroad. They
are of no consequence. My father and his colleagues will not be like them. My
father says:

I am a member of the African National Congress. I have always been a member
of the African National Congress and I will remain a member of the African
National Congress until the day I die. Oliver Tambo is much more than a
brother to me. He is my greatest friend and comrade for nearly fifty years. If
there is any one amongst you who cherishes my freedom, Oliver Tambo cherishes
it more, and I know that he would give his life to see me free. There is no
difference between his views and mine.

I am surprised at the conditions that the government wants to impose on me.
I am not a violent man. My colleagues and I wrote in 1952 to Malan asking for
a round table conference to find a solution to the problems of our country,
but that was ignored. When Strijdom was in power, we made the same offer.
Again it was ignored. When Verwoerd was in power we asked for a national
convention for all the people in South Africa to decide on their future. This,
too, was in vain.

It was only then, when all other forms of resistance were no longer open to
us, that we turned to armed struggle. Let Botha show that he is different to
Malan, Strijdom and Verwoerd. Let him renounce violence. Let him say that he
will dismantle apartheid. Let him unban the people's organisation, the African
National Congress. Let him free all who have been imprisoned, banished or
exiled for their opposition to apartheid. Let him guarantee free political
activity so that people may decide who will govern them.

I cherish my own freedom dearly, but I care even more for your freedom. Too
many have died since I went to prison. Too many have suffered for the love of
freedom. I owe it to their widows, to their orphans, to their mothers and to
their fathers who have grieved and wept for them. Not only I have suffered
during these long, lonely, wasted years. I am not less life-loving than you
are. But I cannot sell my birthright, nor am I prepared to sell the birthright
of the people to be free. I am in prison as the representative of the people
and of your organisation, the African National Congress, which was banned.

What freedom am I being offered while the organisation of the people
remains banned? What freedom am I being offered when I may be arrested on a
pass offence? What freedom am I being offered to live my life as a family with
my dear wife who remains in banishment in Brandfort? What freedom am I being
offered when I must ask for permission to live in an urban area? What freedom
am I being offered when I need a stamp in my pass to seek work? What freedom
am I being offered when my very South African citizenship is not
respected?

Only free men can negotiate. Prisoners cannot enter into contracts. Herman
Toivo ja Toivo, when freed, never gave any undertaking, nor was he called upon
to do so.

I cannot and will not give any undertaking at a time when I and you, the
people, are not free.

Your freedom and mine cannot be separated. I will
return.