Skip to main content
Menu
♥ Donate
eventREF E-0011961Revised

Event record

Nelson Mandela is arrested

Nelson Mandela

Date
5 Aug 1962
Updated
5 Aug 2020
Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, African National Congress (ANC) leader and first commander-in-chief of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), was captured in Cedara, a small town near Howick, Natal, shortly after his return to South Africa on completing six months’ military training in Oujda, Morocco, and after attending the All Africa People’s Conference in Ethiopia. He was charged with incitement to strike and with illegally leaving the country. Bob Hepple acted as his legal representative. His trial took place in Pretoria's Old Synagogue. In November 1962, he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment on the charges. He began his sentence in Pretoria Central Prison.

Search events by date

What happened on your birthday?
View more events from this day

How we know this

  1. 01Gastrow, S. (1987). Who's Who in South African Politics, no 2 , Johannesburg: Ravan.
  2. 02Mandela, N. (1994). Long Walk to Freedom. Randburg: Macdonald Purnell, p. 301.
  3. 03Sampson, A. (1999). Mandela :the authorised biography, Johannesburg: HarperCollins.
  4. 04Hepple, B. Rivonia: The Story of Accused No 11,‘The Road to Rivonia: July 11 1963’, (1999) pg 8.

Last updated · 5 Aug 2020

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2013, August 2). Nelson Mandela is arrested. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011961

South African History Online (2013) 'Nelson Mandela is arrested', South African History Online, 2 August. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011961 (Accessed: 14 August 2026).

South African History Online, Nelson Mandela is arrested [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011961, (accessed 14 August 2026).

"Nelson Mandela is arrested." South African History Online, 2 Aug. 2013, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011961. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "Nelson Mandela is arrested." South African History Online. August 2, 2013. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011961.

Further reading

Oyster Bay Place

Oyster Bay

Oyster Bay or “Oesterbaai” in Afrikaans, is a small coastal hamlet and resort located about 22.5 kilometres (14.
Popular Content
Mooivallei, Dairy Farm Place

Mooivallei, Dairy Farm

Mooivallei Suiwel is a cheese and butter producer based at Bonnievale, a town in the Breede River Valley in the Western....
Popular Content

SAHO is free because readers fund it. Donate →