Mandela threatens armed struggle

African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Nelson Mandela warned that if the South African government fail to take effective steps to end the current violence in the country, the only defence of the people will be to take up arms. Mandela was alluding to the fact that the political violence and vigilante activities that had engulfed KwaZulu-Natal and the Rand, were due to the government's inability of putting effective measures in place. He ran short of accusing the government of fuelling violence in order to enhance its aim of thwarting any effort of having a democratic government in place.