Nelson Mandela set up the African National Congress’ armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), in 1961 when he lost hope that passive and non-violent resistance to the apartheid government would bear fruit.
8:00AM GMT 05 Feb 2011
With no military training himself, and in hiding from the government, Mr Mandela travelled abroad where he was offered financial and practical help by countries including Ethiopia and Algeria.
Mr Mandela was adamant that MK, as the armed unit was called, would not kill people but its tactics would be aimed at sabotage. In his own words, the aim was to “hit back by all means within our power in defence of our people, our future and our freedom”.
On his return to South Africa, Mr Mandela and his colleagues set up regional command units and set about training their army in bomb making and clandestine operations.
MK carried out numerous bombings during the next 20 years and the pledge not to kill became redundant – in the whole campaign, at least 63 people died and 483 people were injured.
It was subsequently classified as a terrorist organisation by the South African government and the United States, and banned.
The armed struggle would also have a very personal consequence for Mr Mandela: he was arrested for sabotage a year after MK’s formation, and would spend the next 27 years in prison.
Operations continued in his absence and among MK commanders was Jacob Zuma, now the South African president, but were suspended in August 1990 in preparation for the dismantling of apartheid and the birth of the Rainbow Nation.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8304153/Nelson-Mandelas-Spear-of-the-Nation-the-ANCs-armed-resistance.html