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This was a very risky and showed that the accused showed a lot of courage. Because the trial was politzied it received a lot of attention around the world. The ANC and MK leaders may have been on trial but the South African Government was on the hotseat now.

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The Rivonia Trail was the end of the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa. The government successfully broke down the ANC and MK.

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All the leaders were either in prison or in exhile. Townships would be quiet for over a decade and aparthied was  no longer challenged till the Soweto Uprising of 1976.

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The whole thing stated when special forces raided an ANC safehouse at Lilieslief Farm in July; 1963 and arrested senior ANC leaders. Nelson Mandela was arrested later, but then was taken out of jail and then charged with treason with the other 10 ANC and SACP leaders.

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During the raid the officers found a document titled "Operation Mayibuye¨ This was a detailed plan for a revolutionary Guerrilla war to be waged by MK.

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"Above all, we want equal political rights, because without them our disablities will be permanent."

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The Soweto uprising would spark the beginning of a new phase in the fight against Apartheid.

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A international campaign against the trial was months underway. Started by London veterans of the liberational movement who managed to elude a government appointed death sentence.

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All but one of the accused were found guilty of all charges. The trial had started whole movements before the verdict and after the verdict was announced the defence called on Alan Paton (president of the liberal party and a journalist) he was called open to appeal for clemency and argued for the judge to spare the guilty verdict for good of the country. To everyone's surprise the men got life imprisonment.

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Nelson Mandela decided to plea guilty at trial as a message. Mandela let the public know that they may have been guilty but it was the government that had drove them to such lengths of violence.

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The Trial received a lot of attention around the globe and because of this South Africa received International help.

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Alan Paton