In 2002, the Palace of Justice’s entire interior was renovated, except for the holding cells below ground level. Mandela and his fellow trialists found themselves in one of these cells on every day of the trial. The walls of the cell carry messages left by generations of political prisoners.
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The holdingcells below ground level
- Updated
- 24 Jul 2019
Nelson Mandela Foundation
South African History Online. (2011, July 7). The holdingcells below ground level. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/I-0065531
South African History Online (2011) 'The holdingcells below ground level', South African History Online, 7 July. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/I-0065531 (Accessed: 6 September 2026).
South African History Online, The holdingcells below ground level [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/I-0065531, (accessed 6 September 2026).
"The holdingcells below ground level." South African History Online, 7 July 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/I-0065531. Accessed 6 Sept. 2026.
South African History Online. "The holdingcells below ground level." South African History Online. July 7, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/I-0065531.
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