Contrary to popular belief, Nelson Mandela was not a "prophet of peace" nor was he imprisoned for 27 years for "fighting against apartheid." In fact, Mandela was a communist terrorist who bombed assorted facilities and buildings and killed people, along with other black and Jewish intellectuals of the day. The Rivonia trial was not about "apartheid" it was about murders committed at the hands of Nelson Mandela and others. From an Amazon.com review: This book carefully documents the evidence from the Rivonia Trial. Rivonia was a suburb of Johannesburg where the ten defendants secretly met and hid on a farm. Ethnically they were 3 Jews, 2 Indians and the rest black. Nelson Mandela had masqueraded as a cook and gardener. The trial began in December 1963 and the verdicts were rendered in July 1964. The trial outlines the conspiracy to violently overthrow the South African government. It proves how the revolutionaries planned and implemented campaigns of sabotage, intimidation, torture, guerrilla warfare, violence, disruption of transportation and communications, insurrection and revolution against the government with the assistance of the Communists and other radicals. They planned to manufacture or purchase explosives such as 48,000 land mines each containing 5 pounds of dynamite, 210,000 hand grenades each containing 1/4 pd of dynamite as well as petrol bombs,syringe bombs, thermite bombs, 1,500 timing devices for bombs, as well as molotov cocktails. Their requirements included 144 tons of ammonium nitrate,21.6 tons of aluminum powder and 15 tons of black powder. They prepared for a nucleus army of 7,000 soldiers. Many to be trained abroad in Communist countries. The campaign was based on the model of successes previously achieved in Algeria and Cuba. More than ten documents written in Nelson Mandella's handwriting were submitted as evidence. They contained notes on basic and advanced military training and warfare as well as Communist doctrine. Although Mandella denied being a Communist he admitted that the aims and objectives of the ANC and Communist Party were identical. He even spoke of retaliation against non supportive blacks such as murder and cutting off their noses. The planners were convicted and sentenced to life in prison. The lesson that may be learned from this is that governments when threatened such as in this case must move harshly. Had these terrorists been convicted of treason and executed things might have turned out differently.