Rivonia Trialists

Date: 9 October, 1963

After a raid by security police at Lilliesleaf farm in July 1963, the police arrested many prominent leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK). Amongst them were, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Rusty Bernstein, Dennis Goldberg, James Kantor, Andrew Mlangeni, Elias Motsoaledi, Raymond Mhlaba and Bob Hepple. They were charged with sabotage and attempting to violently overthrow the South African government. The incident occurred three years after the banishment of the African National Congress (ANC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and other liberation movements in April 1960.

According to reports, police informer, Gerard Ludi, leaked the information about the whereabouts of the MK headquarters. In gathering evidence to be used in the trial against the accused the police were also able to arrest others such as Dennis Goldberg and Nelson Mandela. When the Liliesleaf raid occurred Nelson Mandela was serving a five year sentence for incitement and leaving the country illegally. During the raid police had discovered documen­tation implicating Mandela in MK's activities, including notes he made from his readings about guerrilla warfare and a diary he had kept during his Africa trip. The accused appeared be­fore Justice Quartus de Wet.

References

• Kalley, J. A., Schoeman, E., and Andor, L.E., (eds.) (1999). Southern African Political History: A Chronology of Key Political Events from Independence to Mid-1997. USA: Greenwood Press
• Mandela, N. (1994). Long Walk to Freedom. Randburg: Macdonald Purnell. p. 337
• Giliomee, H. and Mbenga, B. (2007). New History of South Africa. Cape Town: Tafelberg Publishers
• Hepple, B. Rivonia: The Story of Accused No 11,‘Trial’, (1999) pg 21,22