Mandela began by stating that he had been among the founders of Umkhonto we Sizwe , the armed wing of the ANC , and that he did not deny his involvement in planning sabotage , saying " I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness , nor because I have any love for violence . I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny , exploitation , and oppression of my people by the whites . " Mandela argued that all non-violent means had been tried and that they had only resulted in mounting restrictions and reduced freedom for the African people . Referring to the Sharpeville shootings and a number of other instances of government violence against protesters , he stated that " the government which uses force to support its rule teaches the oppressed to use force to oppose it " , and that the decision to adopt selective use of violent means was " not because we desire such a course . Solely because the government left us no other choice . " Mandela also devoted significant effort to refuting the prosecution 's charges that he and the ANC had acted under the domination of the Communist Party of South Africa and foreign interests . He likened the alliance between the communists and the ANC to the alliance of the US , Britain and the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany . He discussed in some detail the relationship between the ANC and the Communist Party , explaining that , while the two shared a commitment to action against the apartheid system , he was wedded to a model of constitutional democracy for South Africa ( he singled out the British political model for particular praise ) , and also supported a market economy rather than a communist economic model . He noted that , while there were political differences between the Communists and the ANC , " theoretical differences among those fighting against oppression is ( sic ) a luxury that we can not afford at this stage " . He added that the communists had been the only political group in South Africa who had shown themselves willing to treat Africans as human beings
Sharpeville shootings
Sharpeville massacre
I Am Prepared to Die