May 31st 1961 Cape Town ... Verwoerd declares that South Africa is now a Republic. ibid.
September 11th 1966 Pretoria: Verwoerd is given a state funeral. ibid.
I will never regret not denouncing apartheid. Zola Budd
8There is a total onslaught against South Africa. To destabilise our country and to make us give in, and to make us accept dictates from outside. P W Botha
Our enemies latched unto the word apartheid and in a very sly manner and transformed it into the strongest weapon in the onslaught against freedom and civilization in our country. P W Botha, 1986
God doesn’t want us to mix. And that is why we stay apart from the blacks. Minky
No matter what vision one has of South Africa, the first thing that must be done is to destroy racism. Joe Slovo
The choice that you face is that you either continue to be able to make a contribution to the struggle or not. Joe Slovo
Sometimes, if you wear suits for too long, it changes your ideology. Joe Slovo
I think a legitimate target is the enemy and enemy is basically in uniform, but not all in uniform. For example in the rural areas our judgement is that virtually the whole farming community is part of the South African Defence Force. Joe Slovo, interview BBC World Service 4 July 1986
When a man has been consistently battering his wife, he shouldn’t expect a bouquet of roses from her the morning after he promises to stop. Joe Slovo, interview Gaye Davis 11 February 1991
You can’t go to a negotiating table pointing a gun, but you’ve got to keep it over your shoulder. ibid.
It’s not difficult in South Africa for the ordinary person to see the link between capitalism and racist exploitation, and when one sees the link one immediately thinks in terms of a socialist alternative. ibid.
In time we shall be in a position to bestow on South Africa the greatest possible gift – a more human face. Steve Biko
The blacks are tired of standing at the touchlines to witness a game that they should be playing. They want to do things for themselves and all by themselves. Steve Biko, letter to SRC Presidents, I Write What I Like, 1978
We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our birth. These are concepts which the Black Consciousness approach wishes to eradicate from the black man’s mind before our society is driven to chaos by irresponsible people from Coca-Cola and hamburger cultural backgrounds. Steve Biko, The Quest for a True Humanity, I Write What I Like, 1978
cf.
We do not want to challenge big business. Nelson Mandela
We are willing to deal with any region irrespective of the internal policies of any country. Nelson Mandela
I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death. Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes naturally to the human heart than its opposite. ibid.
I do not deny that I planned sabotage. I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness nor because I have any love of violence. I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny, exploitation and oppression of my people by the whites. Nelson Mandela
It is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and non-violence against a government whose reply is only savage attacks on an unarmed and defenceless people. Nelson Mandela, 1961
I will not leave South Africa, nor will I surrender. Only through hardship, sacrifice and militant action can freedom be won. The struggle is my life. I will continue fighting for freedom until the end of my days. Nelson Mandela
I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, 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 with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to see realized. But my lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. Nelson Mandela, speech Johannesburg 20th April 1964
I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands. Nelson Mandela, speech Cape Town 11th February 1990
True reconciliation does not consist in merely forgetting the past. Nelson Mandela, speech 7th January 1996
South Africans must recall the terrible past so that we can deal with it. Forgiving where forgiveness is necessary but never forgetting. Nelson Mandela, address on leaving office 15th June 1999
He was arrested on a charge of treason and sentenced to life in prison. For twenty-seven years he was cut off from the outside world. Nelson Mandela: The Fight for Freedom, BBC 2013
He wanted to keep the protests peaceful. The white government rejected dialogue. ibid.
1991: The last time the world has seen him was three decades earlier on his way to court. Nelson Mandela: The Long Walk, National Geographic 2013
In the city he met a man who would shape his destiny: his name was Walter Sisulu. ibid.
The plain truth is he had a fairly privileged upbringing. Nelson Mandela: His Life and Legacy, ITV 2013
When he was 22 Mandela fled a proposed arranged marriage. ibid.
They knew they couldn’t let him die in prison. ibid.
Together we have travelled a long road to be where we are today. This has been a road of struggle against colonial and apartheid oppression. Thabo Mbeki
It may be that apartheid brings such stupendous economic advantages to countries that they would sooner have apartheid than permit its destruction. Oliver Tambo
We were under an obligation to end evil. Oliver Tambo
And who are responsible for the policies of Apartheid? It is not only the white people of South Africa, it is the great and powerful countries who are carrying on trade with that country. Oliver Tambo
We believe that the world, too, can destroy apartheid, firstly by striking at the economy of South Africa. Oliver Tambo
P W Botha: As a direct result of my recent speech thousands of black Africans have already been given more power. In some cases as much as five thousand volts more. Spitting Image s2e5, ITV 1985
No, he’s never met a nice South African
And that’s not bloody surprising, mun,
Cos we’re a bunch of arrogant bastards
Who hate black people. ibid. chorus
So let me say that if the Russians agree to the gradual bit by bit release of all their political prisoners then we – the South African government – will in turn agree to the bit by bit release of Nelson Mandela. Spitting Image s3e4, Botha
This Colour Bar Just Doesn’t Make Sense. Daily Mirror, article Peter Wilson campaigning against Apartheid