Umkhonto we Sizwe

Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) (Spear of the Nation) was the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC). Founded December 16, 1961, by the ANC and South African Communist Party (SACP) as the answer to the political, social and economical oppression against blacks by the South African Apartheid regime.

For a time it was headquartered in Rivonia, the suburb of Johannesburg. On 11th July 1963, 19 ANC and MK leaders including future South African President Nelson Mandela were arrested at Liliesleaf Farm, Rivonia. The farm was privately owned by Arthur Goldreich, and bought with South African Communist Party funds. This was followed by the Rivonia Trial in which ten leaders of the African National Congress were tried for 221 acts of sabotage designed to "foment violent revolution". Walter Mkwayi, chief of MK at the time, escaped during trial.

The MK carried out numerous bombings of military, industrial, civilian and infrastructural sites. The tactics were initially geared towards sabotage, not targeting people, but eventually tactics of urban guerrilla warfare were also used. Notable among these is the January 8, 1982 (to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the formation of the ANC), attack on the Koeberg nuclear power plant in Cape Town and the 14 June 1986 car-bombing of Magoo's Bar in Durban in which 3 people were killed and 73 injured.

MK suspended operations on August 1 1990.

See also: ANC, Apartheid, History of South Africa

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