On August 18, 1973, Hudson William Edison Ntsanwisi, then Chief Minister of the “independent homeland” of Gazankulu in South Africa, was scheduled to present an address titled “Petty Apartheid” before the Sociological Symposium at the University of Pretoria. Although the presentation was not made, his … Read More(1973) H.W. E. Ntsanwisi, “Petty Apartheid”
By 1968 the freedom struggle for Namibia was a two year old guerilla war against South African control of the region. That struggle was directed by the Southwest African People’s Organization (SWAPO). In the address below which was originally published in April, 1968, Toivo Herman … Read More(1968) Toivo Herman Ja Toivo, “Freedom for Namibia”
In December 1960, Albert Luthuli, President of the African National Congress of South Africa, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the struggle against apartheid. The South African government however, refused to allow Luthuli to leave the country to accept the award … Read More(1961) Albert Luthuli, “Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech”
In 1967 Chinua Achebe, one of Nigeria’s most prominent writers, supported the secession of Biafra from the Nigerian nation. In this 1968 speech he describes why he supported the breakaway state in its attempt to achieve independence. It is clear to me that an … Read More(1968) Chinua Achebe, “The Duty and Involvement of the African Writer”
In 1957 the Nigerian House of Representatives passed a motion requesting Independence from Great Britain and calling on that colonial power to officially set the date for that Independence as October 1, 1960. After the motion was passed, Alhaji Abubakar Balewa, a member of the … Read More(1957) Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, “Unity and Diversity in Independence”
On May 9, 1994, Nelson Mandela was officially inaugurated as the first democratically elected President of South Africa chosen by the majority of the nation’s citizens. His inauguration address given at Cape Town, South Africa, appears below. Mr. Master of Ceremonies, Your Excellencies, Members of … Read More(1994) Nelson Mandela’s Inaugural Address as President of South Africa
After Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, he and representatives of the African National Congress (ANC) began a public period of negotiations in preparation for majority rule in that nation. The negotiations were set back however when ANC leader Chris Hani was assassinated. … Read More(1993) Nelson Mandela, “Address to the Nation”
In 1990 the South African government released Nelson Mandela from Victor Verster Prison in Paarl, South Africa after more than 28 years of incarceration including more than 20 years in South Africa’s most notorious prison, Robben Island. Here is the speech he gave in Cape … Read More(1990) Nelson Mandela, “We Have Waited Too Long For Our Freedom”
In 1962, Nelson Mandela, leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) the armed wing of the African National Congress, was convicted by a South African court of traveling outside the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike. He was sentenced to … Read More(1964) Nelson Mandela, “I Am Prepared To Die”
Es’kia Mphahlele was a South African writer, professor, and political activist who was critical of the nation’s apartheid regime. He subsequently spent twenty years in exile from South Africa between 1957 and 1977. In the speech below, given in Johannesburg, South Africa in June, 1963, … Read More(1963) Es’kia (Ezekiel) Mphahlele, “On Negritude in Literature”
