The arrest that led to Nelson Mandela spending 27 years in prison
Nelson Mandela‘s arrest in 1962 came as a result of a tip-off from an agent of the CIA.
Former CIA agent Donald Rickard made the disclosure shortly before his death in the Sunday Times newspaper
Mandela served 27 years in jail for resisting white minority rule before being released in 1990.
He was subsequently elected as South Africa’s first black president in 1994.
Rickard, who died earlier in 2016 was never formally associated with the CIA, but worked as a diplomat in South Africa before retiring in the late 70s.
Mandela was released in 1990 following the relaxation of apartheid laws, including the unbanning of liberation organizations like the PAC and the ANC by the then South African President FW de Klerk.
After leaving prison, Mandela worked hard to ensure that human rights were respected and South Africans had a better future.
