ANC leader, Walter Sisulu is arrested for not being in possession of a reference book.

Date: 17 Oct 1961
Updated: 14 Oct 2021

African National Congress (ANC) leader, Walter Sisulu was arrested on a charge that he did not own a reference book. Subsequently Sisuslu was confined to his house for 5 years. Before his banishment in June 1961 Sisulu, Joe Slovo, Nelson Mandela and Govan Mbeki secretly met and discussed the formation of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the ANC’s armed wing. This group constituted the MK’s high command. He served as political commissar of MK with his friend Mandela as its Commander in Chief. During his banishment in July 1963, Sisulu was arrested together with the High Command of the ANC at Lilliesleaf Farm in Rivonia.

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How we know this

01O’Malley P. ‘1961’, from Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and Dialog, [online], available at www.nelsonmandela.org [Accessed: 16 October 2013]
02South African History Online, ‘Walter Ulyate Sisulu’, [online], Available at www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed: 16 October 2013]
03South African History Online, ‘Police arrest members of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) High Command at Lilliesleaf Farm’, [online], Available at www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed: 16 October 2013]

Last updated · 14 Oct 2021

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, October 10). ANC leader, Walter Sisulu is arrested for not being in possession of a reference book.. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093791

South African History Online (2012) 'ANC leader, Walter Sisulu is arrested for not being in possession of a reference book.', South African History Online, 10 October. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093791 (Accessed: 22 August 2026).

South African History Online, ANC leader, Walter Sisulu is arrested for not being in possession of a reference book. [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093791, (accessed 22 August 2026).

"ANC leader, Walter Sisulu is arrested for not being in possession of a reference book.." South African History Online, 10 Oct. 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093791. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "ANC leader, Walter Sisulu is arrested for not being in possession of a reference book.." South African History Online. October 10, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093791.