Life Timeline
Timeline: 1970 - 1979
- 1970
- November, Mandela is allowed his first visit from Winnie Mandela in two years.
- 1971
- A gunman is found prowling in the Mandela yard
- 1972
- Two men try to strangle Winnie Mandela in her bed. They flee when her screams attract neighbours. The Mandela house is attacked, and windows are smashed. Winnie Mandela and Peter Magubane are arrested for communicating with each other. They are prohibited from doing so in terms of their banning orders.
- 1973
- The government offers to release Mandela to the Transkei. He refuses. Security police raid the Mandela home and this is followed by an attack by vandals who cut the telephone wires, smash, windows and doors and dump anti-government leaflets in the yard.
- 1974
- Winnie Mandela and Peter Magubane lose their appeals and each begins their six months jail sentence for communicating with each other when prohibited from doing so. Winnie Mandela is chosen as Woman of the Year by British women.
- 1975
- Winnie Mandela 's banning order expires and she attends a welcome meeting in Durban. She is elected to the executive of the Federation of Black Women.
- 1976
- 16 June, Soweto burns as students protest forced instruction in Afrikaans. Winnie Mandela is elected to the Black Parents Committee. Mass detentions follow. She is one of six executive members of the Federation of Black Women to be detained. She is released and banned again.
- 1977
- 19 May, Winnie Mandela is banished to Brandtfort in the Orange Free State. She is also charged with 7 counts of breaking her banning order, 4 for having visitors and 3 for attending gatherings. Black organisations including the Federation of Black Women and Black Parents Association are banned.
- 1977
- 12 September, Steve Biko dies after police beatings whilst in detention The UN Security Council imposes an arms embargo on South Africa.
- 1978
- Winnie Mandela is sentenced to 6 months imprisonment suspended for four years for breaking the banning order. Prime Minister B J Vorster resigns after the Muldergate scandal, which involved the misappropriation of public funds. P W Botha takes over as Prime Minister.
- 1979
- African trade unions are recognised for the first time under the Industrial Relations Act.
- 1979
- September, The Azanian People's Organisation (Azapo) holds its inaugural conference.
- 1979
- November, The Azanian Students Organisation is formed for tertiary students, whilst the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) is formed for high school students. The Western Cape is hit by a wave of stayaways with broad community support focusing on a wide range of issues.