This speech was delivered by Nelson Mandela during his journey across South Africa shortly after his release from prison. This is the time when he became the de facto leader of the country and when he was actively urging the people to continue the struggle for unity. This speech was addressed to all of the citizens of South Africa and was one of the four speeches that ultimately became a part of his presidential campaign, which led to his success. In this speech, he addressed the continuing violence against the blacks and proclaimed his commitment to fight for freedom and democracy.
In the speech, he urges to seek compromise with the ruling government through peaceful methods, as the use of violence provides a justification for the aparthy to continue the maltreatment. He states, “Great anger and violence can never build a nation. The apartheid regime uses this strife a pretext for further oppression…” (Mandela 1990). He argues that the resort to violent methods of struggle ends up supporting the regime.
The speech shows that the struggle was still on the go and needed encouragement and a push for further unfolding. Thus, it provides a reliable overview of the historical context, which was characterized by a sense of stagnation within the movement, as the oppression continued. With his speeches, Mandela breathed life into the last spurt of the victory.
Work Cited
Mandela, N. “We are Committed to Building a Single Nation in Our Country.” 1989: Democratic Revolutions at the Cold War’s End: A Brief History with Documents, edited by Padraic Kenney, Bedford, 2009.