ESTABLISHMENT OF GUERILLA TRAINING CAMPS:
The armed struggle
"THOSE WHO MAKE PEACEFUL REVOLUTION IMPOSSIBLE WILL MAKE VIOLENT REVOLUTION INEVITABLE."
-J.F.KENNEDY
The violence in South Africa escalated as whites began to take up arms and the police became more aggressive and brutal in their treatment of protestors. The turning point for the ANC was the Sharpeville Massacre which occurred March 21, 1960. This resulted in the injuring of 250 peaceful black protestors by the Sharpeville police. This was the most violent attack to have occured up until this point and it led to further repressive measures; a state of emergency was declared and both the ANC and the PAC were banned. In turn, the ANC abandoned their original tactics of peaceful protest and created the military wing of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe.
Now in exile, the ANC posed little threat to the South African government. For the time being the organization had lost any cohesive effectiveness due it's members being dispersed and in disarray. As well as this, internal fighting amongst it's leadership threatened its very existence.
At this time Oliver Tambo became crucial in further strengthening the ANC's military wing. Throughout the 1960s he travelled abroad extensively and came to realize that the ANC's military activities and an established military headquarters were pivotal to challenging the entrenched position of the South African government and its security forces. He was convinced that this was now the way forward in establishing ANC legitamacy and international recognition.
He set about doing this by securing the cooperation of numerous African governments for the use of their training camp facilities. In 1965, Tanzania and Zambia provided housing facilities for Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) combatants. Angola also offered training facilities to MK combatants and due to the ANC’s strong relationship with Frelin they were also able to establish diplomatic facilities. It was by way of Tambo's considerable political skills in his dealings with these neighboring governments that he ensured the ongoing military action was supported with the beneficial use of these military training facilities.
At this time Oliver Tambo became crucial in further strengthening the ANC's military wing. Throughout the 1960s he travelled abroad extensively and came to realize that the ANC's military activities and an established military headquarters were pivotal to challenging the entrenched position of the South African government and its security forces. He was convinced that this was now the way forward in establishing ANC legitamacy and international recognition.
He set about doing this by securing the cooperation of numerous African governments for the use of their training camp facilities. In 1965, Tanzania and Zambia provided housing facilities for Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) combatants. Angola also offered training facilities to MK combatants and due to the ANC’s strong relationship with Frelin they were also able to establish diplomatic facilities. It was by way of Tambo's considerable political skills in his dealings with these neighboring governments that he ensured the ongoing military action was supported with the beneficial use of these military training facilities.
This image is of an Umkhonto we Sizwe soldier.