Why Is Nelson Mandela Considered A Terrorist

Nelson Mandela is arguably one of the biggest influencers of today’s modern world and is largely considered a freedom fighter. But, for decades he was considered a terrorist and a global threat. To consider Mandela a terrorist and not a freedom fighter, you have to ignore both the key traits of terrorists and the key traits of freedom fighters. Terrorists turn to violence without reason, use strategy that will hurt the most people and is not the most effective,, and fight for ultimate control over their ‘oppressors’. Freedom fighters use the least amount of violence possible, use the best strategy possible, and fight for justice and equality. Nelson Mandela was a freedom fighter because he fought for the advancement of black and colored South
In 1961, the ANC created a broad strategy to end apartheid that included mass non-violent action, advocating for sanctions against the government, diplomatic isolation from the world community, and sabotage. In June of the same year, ANC leadership formed a new wing dedicated to launching sabotage campaigns against “symbols of white domination such as jails and railways”. This wing was named Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and led by Nelson Mandela. In an eighteen month period, MK launched about 200 attacks. No person was harmed in these attacks, other than one saboteur who was killed by his own bomb, but they still instilled fear in whites. In response to these sabotage attacks, the government created new laws that allowed more arrests and detentions. Under these laws, Nelson Mandela and eight other people were arrested and accused of treason. All but one were sentenced to life in prison. During the same time period of MK’s attacks, the South African Indian Congress (SAIC) continued using the position the program was built on, peaceful protests. The SAIC also called for the international community to take a stand against apartheid. With the imprisonment of Mandela and the seven others, international support poured in. The UN Security Council urged the South African government to grant amnesty to the defendants and even considered the use of sanctions against South
Political violence was still rampant in South Africa after the release of Mandela and the repeal of the apartheid laws. For four years, leaders met to negotiate the future of the country. These negotiations resulted in the formation of a new constitution. Under this constitution, new voting rights allowed blacks, Asians, coloreds, and whites of all religions, sexual orientations, and genders to vote together for the first time. In 1994, people from all backgrounds flocked to the polls to cast their ballot for president. Nelson Mandela became the first elected president of post-apartheid South Africa. For the first time in South African history, there was a president willing to lead for all people regardless of their race, sexuality, religion, and gender. After years of being suppressed, blacks and coloreds felt especially proud of Mandela. He represented the struggle and the pain that blacks and coloreds went through at the hands of the previous government. He also represented the freedom black and coloreds had hoped for. For white Afrikaners who had little in common with Mandela, he allowed them to still feel represented. In 1995, Mandela allowed South Africa to host the third Rugby World Cup. This was incredibly important because rugby is a big part of the Afrikaner culture. The South African team only had one black member, but people of all