On a speech to the Supreme Court

On April 20, 1964, Nelson Mandela delivered a speech to the Supreme Court of South Africa. Mandela was being tried for sabotage, high treason, and a conspiracy to take over the established government; these charges were brought forth during a time a great discrimination against Africans, by whites. Mandela was a strong leader in the drive towards unification and equality, and to this very day is still acknowledged as a driving force to the end of the apartheid in South Africa. Like many great leaders before him Mandela relied greatly on political movement rather than rebellions or any other means of violence, as he described in more detail in this speech. The purpose of this speech was to convince the court that the bulk of the accusations made against himself, as well as the African National Congress, were fabricated, but he also aimed to thrust their movement onward. Using his trustworthiness as a groundbreaker for social righteousness, influential diction, and practical logic Mandela is able to truly express the struggles of blacks in a country dominated by white politicians. Although his trial resulted in a guilty ruling, he was effective in displaying that some of the responsibility fell to the government and the change was undoubtedly coming.