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The Argus: Mandela, the Rivonia Trial, life or death? / Mandela: the Rivonia Trial, life or death?

The Rivonia treason trial started on October 9, 1963, the same day that former Cape Town coloured singer Danny Williams made front page headlines by marrying a white girl in London. Those were the days when apartheid, not as “reformed” as it is today, was rigorously applied by the National Party government. Love, sex and marriage across the colour line were forbidden. Crooner Williams, 31, then riding the crest of the pop wave with his ballad “Moon River”, took his vows with Bobbi Carole, who married him against the wishes of her parents. Williams, fearing persecution, told an interviewer he would not be welcome in South Africa again. But most prominent by far on the front page that day was the Rivonia treason trial. A report from Pretoria — following the style of the times — said: “Eleven men — four whites, one Indian and six Natives — went on trial in the Supreme Court here today before Mr Justice Quartus de Wet (Judge President of the Transvaal) on charges of sabotage and of offences under the Suppression of Communism Act and of contravening the Criminal Law Amendment Act.” / Supplement to The Argus, Wednesday February 7 1990 / Exclusive Part 2

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:rhodes/vital:30516
Date07 February 1990
CreatorsCruywagen, Dennis, Drysdale, Andrew
PublisherThe Argus
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext, book
Format8 pages, pdf
RightsThe Argus, No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission from the publisher

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