Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa

51°33′21.9″N 0°16′44.7″W / 51.556083°N 0.279083°W / 51.556083; -0.279083 Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa was a music concert that took place on 16 April 1990 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The event was held before a capacity audience of 76,000 people and was broadcast to more than 60 countries.[1] It was held two months after Nelson Mandela's release from a South African apartheid prison and was regarded by him as an official international reception.

Background

An earlier concert, the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute, had been successfully held in June 1988 while the South African leader was still imprisoned. The success of this event, combined with the growing likelihood of Mandela's release, prompted his lawyer to ask Tony Hollingsworth, producer of the first concert, to organise the 1990 tribute concert.[2]

Mandela, his party, the African National Congress, and the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) were convinced that the first event increased global pressure on the South African regime to release Mandela—a move that would be the first step in releasing other political prisoners and ending the apartheid regime.[2][3][4]

Mandela's lawyer and Mike Terry, the Executive Secretary of the AAM, met with Hollingsworth in London in December 1989. The London-based AAM, which was formed in 1959 as a boycott committee, was led by Terry from 1975 and was a key organiser of the concert.[5] According to his lawyer, Mandela insisted on two conditions: that he would be able to speak for any length of time and that his speech would not be edited for television. It was also agreed that they would seek the widest possible international television coverage, and that broadcast fees and ticket revenue would be used to cover the concert's costs rather than generate profit.[2]

At one stage, Mandela considered disassociating himself from the planned concert after senior ANC figures persuaded him against holding the event in "Thatcher's country", as they believed that British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had supported the apartheid regime. Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, president of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, eventually persuaded him to participate.

Event

Mandela was on stage for 45 minutes, receiving a standing ovation that lasted for eight minutes.[6] During his speech, he thanked the "hundreds of thousands of people" who had campaigned for his freedom and called for the continued isolation of South Africa until it was transformed into a "non-racial democracy".[1] He also urged people across the world to continue pressing for the abolition of apartheid through sanctions.[7][8]

Artist line-up

The following artists performed at the concert:[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "International Tribute for a Free South Africa concert programme, 1990." AAM Archives, reference mda41. https://www.aamarchives.org/archive/history/1960s/mda41-international-tribute-for-a-free-south-africa-concert-programme-1990.html
  2. ^ a b c d Peter Elman, "Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa". Tony Hollingworth website.
  3. ^ Letter from Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, President of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, 12 July 1995: "The result of his efforts helped to generate the pressures which secured the release of Nelson Mandela."
  4. ^ ANC website message: "...the worldwide campaign for the release of Nelson Mandela and political prisoners made a decisive contribution...One event in particular symbolised that campaign - the 'Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute'...The ANC owes an enormous debt of gratitude to the artists and performers and all those who made that event possible..." Archived 2 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Mike Terry: Campaigner who led the Anti-Apartheid Movement for two decades." The Independent, 10 December 2008. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/mike-terry-campaigner-who-led-the-antiapartheid-movement-for-two-decades-1059367.html
  6. ^ "Tony Hollingsworth | Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa". tonyhollingsworth.com. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  7. ^ Stephen Prokesch, "Mandela Urges Support for Sanctions", The New York Times, 17 April 1990.
  8. ^ "Nelson Mandela British Visit/Wembley Concert", 16 April 1990: " 31.20 Nelson Mandela onto stage...." ITN Source website.
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