African National Congress's deputy president Nelson Mandela addressed a crowd of 300 000 in Port Elizabeth in what was described as South Africa's biggest ever political rally. Mandela announced to the crowd that he would be meeting President F.W. de Klerk in order to discuss the intensification of violence throughout the country, with specific reference to KwaZulu-Natal and the Rand where things were getting out of hand. On the very same day, Mandela flew to KwaZulu-Natal to see for himself what the violence had done to that region.
1 April 1990
ANC’s Nelson Mandela in a historic political rally

- Updated
- 31 Mar 2021

How we know this
- 01Baloyi, J.S. (2002): Public Response to Vigilantism and Political Violence in KwaZulu-Natal, 1985-1994 : Pretoria: University of Pretoria
- 02Keesing's Record of World Events: News Digest for March 1994 , p 37305.
Last updated · 31 Mar 2021
South African History Online. (2011, March 16). ANC’s Nelson Mandela in a historic political rally. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012880
South African History Online (2011) 'ANC’s Nelson Mandela in a historic political rally', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012880 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
South African History Online, ANC’s Nelson Mandela in a historic political rally [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012880, (accessed 12 October 2026).
"ANC’s Nelson Mandela in a historic political rally." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012880. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
South African History Online. "ANC’s Nelson Mandela in a historic political rally." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012880.
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