In all the adulatory coverage following the death of Nelson Mandela, I’ve yet to see the view expressed that the switch of the ANC from non-violent opposition to armed insurrection, following the Sharpeville massacre in 1960, might well have served to stiffen the resolve of the white supremacist regime in defence of apartheid, caused many more deaths and extended the period of time before change came about.
Just as the bombing campaign against Germany, aimed at bringing
an end to hostilities, served only to prolong the Second World War…
Mandela and his colleagues must have been fully aware of
Gandhi’s strategy.
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