This Day in History: 5 August 1982
The twentieth anniversary of the arrest of Nelson Mandela, African National Congress (ANC) leader and first commander-in-chief of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), was marked by a call for his release by China. This was publicized in the Communist Party organ, The People’s Daily, and an appeal signed by more than 2 000 mayors from 53 countries was made public by the United Nations Centre Against Apartheid in New York.
Mandela’s long-term incarceration began when he was captured in Cedara, a small town near Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, shortly after his return to South Africa on completing six months’ military training in Oujda, Morocco, and after attending the All Africa People’s Conference in Ethiopia. He was charged with incitement to strike and with illegally leaving the country. Bob Hepple acted as his legal representative. His trial took place in Pretoria's Old Synagogue. In November 1962, he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment on the charges. He began his sentence in Pretoria Central Prison.