Memos from the command post.

todayinhistory:

February 11th 1990: Nelson Mandela released from prison

On this day in 1990 Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Verster Prison near Cape Town, South Africa. Mandela had spent 27 years as a political prisoner due to his role as an anti-apartheid activist and leader of terrorist group Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress. Mandela was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to life in prison. He served most of his 27 years on Robben Island, where his reputation grew as a significant black leader. He was released in 1990, after the government reversed the ban on his party. After release, he led his party in negotiations that ended apartheid and began multi-racial democracy in 1994. He served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
On the day of his release, he made a speech to the nation declaring his commitment to peace and reconciliation and racial equality:

“Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way.”