My special place

lickystickypickywe:

A statue consisting of 50 steel columns, commemorates 50 years since Mandela was arrested and charged for treason was unveiled on 4 August 2012 by President Jacob Zuma.

Mandela was arrested a few kilometres outside Howick on the R103, the old main road to Johannesburg, on 5 August 1962.

Mandela had been on a clandestine visit to African National Congress (ANC) President Chief Albert Luthuli’s in Groutville to report back to him on his African odyssey and ask for support for the armed struggle against apartheid. At the time of his arrest, Mandela was driving an Austin Westminster from Groutville with his friend and comrade, Cecil Williams. They were stopped by police and Mandela insisted he was David Motsamayi but a policeman recognised and arrested him after he had been living on the run for seventeen months. He was only released 27 years later.

(via 4percent-pantomime)