CHAPTER 4: THE SPEAR OF THE NATION (1961-1962)

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions using YOUR OWN WORDS. Do NOT copy from the text!

1. Why did Nelson wear a dirty blue uniform and a driver’s hat?

Nelson wore a dirty blue uniform and a driver’s hat because he didn’t want the police to recognise him, as he was living in hiding. He had to move from place to place secretly.

2. When was the stay-at-home protest planned for? What did Africans want to achieve with it?

The stay-at-home was planned for 29th May, 1961. This protest wanted to force the government to organise a national meeting for all South Africans so that they could discuss black African’s rights.

3. Where did Nelson live first in his new life “underground”?

On Nelson’s new life “underground”, he lived with Wolfie Kodesh, a white man, and they lived in the white part of the city.

4. Why did he have to leave this place?

Nelson had to leave this the place because he heard some white people saying that it was really suspicious to have Xhosa milk outside of a white man’s flat.

5. What effect did the stay-at-home have?

On May 29, 1961, thousands of Africans stayed home, but is wasn’t successful because government didn’t listen to the call for a National Meeting.

6. What did Mandela say in the letter he sent to all the newspapers on Freedom Day 1961?

In the letter Mandela sent to all the newspapers on Freedom Day 1961, he asked the government to call a National Meeting to talk about the freedom that Africans wanted and he promised to keep fighting against apartheid.

7. Why did Nelson give up peaceful fight and take up violence?

Nelson gave up peaceful fight and took up violence, because the government refused to listen to him, and they realized violence was the only solution to get the government to listen to black African’s demands.

8. What is MK? Were its members black or white?

MK was Umkhonto we Siswe, meaning the Spear of the Nation. It is a group of people willing to fight against the government with violence. The majority of the members were black and some of them white.

9. Who was David Motsamayi?

David Motsamayi was Mandela’s name when he was living in hiding and working as a cook.

10. How was the MK going to make things difficult for the government?

The MK were going to make things difficult for the government by destroying power stations and railways.

11. What happened on December 10th 1961? Why was this date important?

On December 10th 1961 Chief Luthuli received the Nobel Prize for working as leader of the ANC and for the ANC’s long story of non-violence. This date was important because Luthuli was the first African to receive a Nobel Prize.

12. What happened on December 16th 1061?

On December 16th 1061, the first MK bombs exploded at power stations and government offices. The era of non-violence was over.

13. Where did Mandela go in January 1962? What was the purpose of his trip?

In January 1962, Mandela escaped from South Africa to go to a meeting of African leaders in Addis Adaba, Ethiopia, who would help him to fight against apartheid.

14. Which 3 countries wanted to help Nelson in his fight against Apartheid? (one is not country in itself nowadays, but it’s the name of a lake in this country)

The three countries that wanted to help Nelson to fight against apartheid were Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania), Zambia and Ethiopia.

15. Put the following events in the correct chronological order:

- Mandela and Williams drove back to Johannesburg. → 9

- Mandela flew back to Botswana. → 5

- Mandela returned to Rivonia. → 7

- Mandela flew to Dar es Salaam and met the President of Tanganyika (now not a country in itself anymore). → 2

- Mandela and Williams drove to Durban to go to secret ANC meetings. → 8

- Mandela drove to Botswana. → 1

- Mandela went to Addis Ababa and met Emperor Haile Lassie and the future President of Zambia. → 3

- Mandela drove back to South Africa with Cecil Williams. → 6

- Mandela flew back to Dar es Salaam and met the first group of MK members who were going to train as soldiers in Ethiopia. → 4

16. What happened to Mandela in August 1962?

In August 1962 Mandela was arrested and taken to the Fort (a prison) in Johannesburg.

17. What was Mandela accused of? (2 things) What was the verdict after the trial?

Mandela was accused of organizing the stay-at-home. And he was also accused of leaving South Africa without traveling papers. After the trial, he was sentenced to five years in prison.

18. How did people react when the trial against Mandela started in Pretoria?

The reaction of people when the trial against Mandela started in Pretoria, was that they all protested against Mandela’s arrest and they stayed outside the court wearing Xhosa clothes and shouting “Power to the people!”. Basically, the people gave support to Mandela.

19. How did the United Nations react when the trial against Mandela started in Pretoria?

The United Nations’ reaction when the trial against Mandela started in Pretoria, was that they asked all the countries to refuse to buy anything from South Africa and to boycott the country.

20. Where did Mandela spend the first six months of his sentence? Where was he taken after that?

The first six months of sentence, Mandela spent the first six months of his sentence in Pretoria prison. After that, he was taken to Robben Island, in Cape town.

21. What is Robben Island? Where is it?

Robben Island, is a small, flat island where there’s a prison. It is about eleven kilometres off the coast of Cape Town.

22. How did Mandela, the three other political prisoners and the policemen get there?

Mandela, the three political prisoners and the policeman got there first by truck and then by boat.

23. How long was Mandela on Robben Island?

Mandela was on Robben Island for a few weeks.

24. Why did he have to go back to court?

Mandela had to go back to court because he was accused of sabotage.

25. Situate the following places on the map below:

a) Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)b) Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)c) Botswanad) Zambiae) Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, Pretoria (South Africa)

CHAPTER 4: THE SPEAR OF THE NATION (1961-1962)

VOCABULARY WORK

Read chapter 4 and find the words corresponding to the following definitions:

Page 20 (paragraph 1)

a) To discover (phrasal verb) → FIND OUTb) To celebrate an event (verb) → TO HOLDc) With the purpose of, with the objective of (prepositional expression) → IN

ORDER TO d) More than one (adverb) → SEVERAL TIMESe) In his direction (preposition) → FROM PLACE TO PLACE

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f) To make something not happen (verb) – paragraph 2 → PREVENTg) The opposite of a failure (noun) – paragraph 2→ SUCCESSh) The process of taking someone to court to examine if they’re innocent or

guilty (noun) – paragraph 3 → TRIALi) To become aware of something, to begin to understand something (verb) –

paragraph 3 → REALISEDj) The opposite of in favour of (preposition) – paragraph 4 → AGAINSTk) A synonym of a fight (noun) – paragraph 4 → STRUGGLE

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l) A weapon made of a long wooden stick with a sharp head. → SPEAR

m)To become a member (verb) – paragraph 2 → JOINn) To organize, to obtain (verb) – paragraph 3 → ARRANGEo) To hurt (verb) – paragraph 3 → INJUREp) An award (noun) – paragraph 4 → PRIZE

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q) People who wanted to change the dictatorial regimes in their countries through non-violent peaceful action (compound noun) – paragraph 2 → FREEDOM FIGHTERS

r) When returning to (prepositional expression) – paragraph 2 → ON HIS WAY TO

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s) To be important (verb) →MATTERt) Finally (adverb) → AT LAST

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u) To become aware of something (verb) → NOTICEv) To go more slowly (phrasal verb) → SLOW DOWNw) To be finished (verb+preposition) → TO BE OVERx) Immediately (prepositional expression) → AT ONCEy) To imprison someone (verb) → LOCK SOMEONE UPz) To be given permission (verb in passive) → TO BE ALLOWED

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aa) Deal with a problem, continue living despite the difficulties. (verb) – paragraph 1 → MANAGE

bb) A lot of people together (noun) – paragraph 2 → CROWDcc)A tribunal (noun) – paragraph 2 → COURTdd) To be accused of a crime (adjective+preposition) – paragraph 3 → TO

BE CHARGED WITHee) Start doing an activity (phrasal verb) – paragraph 3 → TAKE

SOMETHING UPff) To officially state what someone’s punishment will be for having committed

a crime (verb) – paragraph 4 → SENTENCEgg) Hot food made of oat [=civada] and milk or water, often eaten for

breakfast. – paragraph 6 → PORRIDGEhh) To fasten something using a needle and thread [=fil] (verb) –

paragraph 6 → SEW

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ii) To be set free (verb) – paragraph 1 →TO BE RELEASEDjj) A lorry (noun) – paragraph 2 → TRUCKkk)To sink underwater and die (verb) – paragraph 3 → DROWNll) Internationally (prepositional expression) – paragraph 3 → ALL OVER THE

WORLDmm) To be all around or on all sides of someone or something (verb) –

paragraph 5 →TO SURROUND