Unit 5 Nelson Mandela — a modern hero

ii. courtroom quotes by nelson mandela“i have fought against white domination and i have fought against black domination. i have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. it is an ideal which i hope to live for and to achieve. but if needs be, it is an ideal for which i am prepared to die.” “why is it that in this courtroom i am facing a white magistrate, confronted by a white prosecutor, escorted by white orderlies? can anybody honestly and seriously suggest that in this type of atmosphere the scales of justice are evenly balanced? why is it that no african in the history of this country has ever had the honor of being tried by his own kind, by his own flesh and blood?...i am a black man in a white man’s court. this should not be.”(finlayson 84). “out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud... we have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. we pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other discrimination. never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another... the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement.”                  iii. anc and anc youth leaguethe anc is a national liberation movement. it was formed in 1912 to unite the african people and spearhead the struggle for fundamental political, social and economic change. for nine decades the anc has led the struggle against racism and oppression, organising mass students resistance, mobilising the international community and taking up the armed struggle against apartheid. membership of the anc is open to all south africans above the age of 18 years, irrespective of race, colour and creed, who accept its principles, policies and programmes.the anc youth league was founded in 1944. the league propagated “africanism” and its motto was “africa’s cause must triumph.” it was radical and militant. the members of it rejected the idea of “foreign” leadership and argued that black africans must provide their own leadership and rely upon themselves.