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where people congregated and not empty 5
buildings and power stations. [. . .]
Above all, we want equal political rights, 20
because without them our disabilities will be section three
permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to
the whites in this country, because the majority
of voters will be Africans. This makes the white /
man fear democracy.
But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the
way of the only solution which will guarantee Nelson Mandela
racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true
that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial
domination. Political division, based on colour, is
David Rogers/Getty Images domination of one colour group by another. [. . .]
entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the

This then is what the ANC is fighting. Their
struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of
the African people, inspired by their own
suffering and their own experience. It is a
This is a photograph of the captain of the struggle for the right to live.
Springboks, the South African team that won the
Rugby World Cup, and Mandela, just after being During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to
elected president and wearing a Springboks this struggle of the African people. I have fought
jersey and hat. During the apartheid era, the against white domination, and I have fought
Springboks were seen as a symbol of white against black domination. I have cherished the
supremacy.
What does this photograph represent for the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all
future of South Africa and what in his speech persons live together in harmony and with equal
demonstrates that Mandela would be capable opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live
of this kind of gesture? for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal
for which I am prepared to die.

Understanding and Interpreting

1. Look back at the Key Context section before this piece, and think about the charges that
Mandela stands trial for. What does the nature of those charges tell you about the political
context of this speech?
2. What distinction does Mandela make between “violence” and “terrorism” (par. 7), and how
does this distinction serve his argument?
3. Explain the concept of a “non-racial democracy” (par. 10). Why is it of central concern to
Mandela and the ANC?
4. According to Mandela, why is sabotage the better form of political violence? Do you think he
makes his case convincingly for this choice of violence?
5. Why, according to Mandela, does the white man fear democracy in South Africa?

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