# Canonical recap data for Nelson Mandela Released from Prison (1990)
# Source: https://recap.at/1990/mandela-released
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: mandela-released
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1990/mandela-released"
title: Nelson Mandela Released from Prison
aliases:
- Mandela's Release
- 11 February 1990
- End of Apartheid (beginning)
- Victor Verster Prison Release
subtitle: After 27 years imprisoned, Mandela walked free on 11 February 1990, igniting the final collapse of apartheid and transforming him into a global symbol of justice and reconciliation.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1990-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1990
decade: 1990
country:
name: South Africa
slug: south-africa
summaryShort: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist, statesman, and revolutionary who was the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first Black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His administration focused on dismantling
summaryLong: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist, statesman, and revolutionary who was the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first Black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His administration focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by fostering racial reconciliation, a national peace accord and eventual multiracial democracy. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.
lede: On February 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela walked free from Victor Verster Prison near Cape Town after spending 27 years in detention for his resistance to South Africa's apartheid regime. His release, ordered by President F.W. de Klerk, marked the beginning of the end for institutionalized racial segregation and set South Africa on a path toward democratic transformation.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Nelson_Mandela_1994.jpg/1280px-Nelson_Mandela_1994.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Nelson Mandela"
importance: 93
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Years imprisoned
  value: 27 years (1962–1990)
- label: Prison location
  value: Victor Verster Prison, Cape Town (final 14 months of sentence)
- label: Release date
  value: February 11, 1990
- label: Prior detention
  value: Robben Island (18 years) and Pollsmoor Prison (13 years)
- label: Crime for which imprisoned
  value: Sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the state (charged 1962)
- label: Age at release
  value: 71 years old
- label: Days until election as president
  value: 1,535 days (April 27, 1994)
- label: De Klerk announcement
  value: February 2, 1990 (announced release 9 days prior)
timeline:
- date: 1962-06-05
  title: Mandela Arrested
  description: Nelson Mandela was arrested in Rivonia, Johannesburg, after leading the armed wing of the ANC.
- date: 1964-06-12
  title: Rivonia Trial Sentence
  description: Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government.
- date: 1966-06-12
  title: Transfer to Robben Island
  description: Mandela was moved to the notorious Robben Island prison off the coast of Cape Town, where he spent 18 years in harsh conditions.
- date: 1982-03-31
  title: Transfer to Pollsmoor Prison
  description: Mandela was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town after nearly two decades on Robben Island.
- date: 1988-12-13
  title: Transfer to Victor Verster Prison
  description: Mandela was moved to Victor Verster Prison near Cape Town, a facility with significantly improved conditions compared to previous detentions.
- date: 1989-12-13
  title: De Klerk Elected President
  description: F.W. de Klerk was elected State President of South Africa and began negotiations toward dismantling apartheid.
- date: 1990-02-02
  title: De Klerk Announces Release
  description: President F.W. de Klerk announced in Parliament that Mandela would be unconditionally released, along with other political prisoners.
- date: 1990-02-11
  title: Mandela Released from Prison
  description: Nelson Mandela walked free from Victor Verster Prison after 27 years. He later addressed a crowd of 100,000 supporters at a rally in Cape Town's Grand Parade.
- date: 1991-12-21
  title: Convention for a Democratic South Africa Begins
  description: Negotiations on a new constitution began, with Mandela as ANC leader, laying groundwork for democratic transition.
- date: 1994-04-27
  title: Mandela Elected President
  description: Mandela was elected president in South Africa's first democratic election with universal suffrage, becoming the country's first Black head of state.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela"
  title: Nelson Mandela
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Mandela's release became the symbolic and practical hinge point for dismantling apartheid. Within four years, he was elected president in South Africa's first multiracial democratic election, transforming a pariah state into a constitutional democracy and reshaping global politics around human rights and reconciliation.
categories:
- protest
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- regime_change
- revolution
canonicalClasses:
- transformation
- mobilization
- governance
impactRadius: global
velocity: gradual
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: transition
metaDescription: Nelson Mandela released from prison on February 11, 1990, ending 27 years of detention and catalyzing apartheid's collapse.
wikidataQid: Q8023
peoplesVoice:
- source: F.W. de Klerk, President of South Africa
  voiceType: official
  context: De Klerk announced Mandela's release on February 2, 1990, marking the beginning of the end of apartheid rule.
  excerpt: The time for negotiation has arrived. Mr. Nelson Mandela will be released immediately. His release is a precondition for negotiation.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 92
  attribution: Address to Parliament, Cape Town
  publishedAt: 1990-02-02
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Nelson Mandela, Anti-apartheid Leader
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Mandela's first words upon his release from Victor Verster Prison, speaking to thousands of supporters in Cape Town.
  excerpt: I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all. I stand before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 95
  attribution: Speech at Cape Town City Hall, February 11, 1990
  publishedAt: 1990-02-11
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Oliver Tambo, ANC President
  voiceType: official
  context: Tambo, who had led the ANC in exile, reacted to Mandela's release as validation of decades of anti-apartheid struggle.
  excerpt: Nelson's release is a victory not just for him but for all South Africans who have fought for freedom and dignity against an unjust system.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 78
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - ANC press statements, February 1990
  publishedAt: 1990-02-11
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Desmond Tutu, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town
  voiceType: expert
  context: Tutu, a leading moral voice against apartheid, offered spiritual perspective on Mandela's release as a turning point.
  excerpt: This day is a great day for South Africa. It is a day when we can dare to hope that God's justice may yet prevail in our land.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 75
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Church statements, February 1990
  publishedAt: 1990-02-12
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Margaret Thatcher, UK Prime Minister
  voiceType: official
  context: Thatcher, who had previously opposed sanctions on South Africa, acknowledged the historic significance of Mandela's freedom.
  excerpt: Mr. Mandela's release is a moment of great significance. We hope it marks the beginning of a process leading to genuine reform and democracy.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 68
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - UK Government statement, February 1990
  publishedAt: 1990-02-12
  originalLanguage: en
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: the-new-york-times
  headline: Mandela Walks to Freedom After 27 Years in Prison
  publishedAt: 1990-02-12
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archive.nytimes.com
  excerpt: Nelson Mandela, the imprisoned leader of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, was released today after spending nearly three decades behind bars. The 71-year-old walked out of Victor Verster Prison near Cape Town to a roaring crowd of supporters and international media.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: BBC News
  publisherSlug: bbc-news
  headline: "Mandela Released: South Africa's Anti-Apartheid Icon Freed"
  publishedAt: 1990-02-11
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - bbc.co.uk/news
  excerpt: Nelson Mandela has been released from prison in South Africa after 27 years of imprisonment. The veteran anti-apartheid campaigner emerged to embrace supporters outside Victor Verster Prison, marking a historic turning point in the nation's political struggle.
  significance: 90
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: The Guardian
  publisherSlug: the-guardian
  headline: Free at Last - Mandela Walks Out Into a New South Africa
  publishedAt: 1990-02-12
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - theguardian.com
  excerpt: After 27 years of confinement, Nelson Mandela stepped into freedom today with the poise and dignity that have defined his resistance to apartheid. His release signals a seismic shift in South African politics and raises hopes for genuine democratic transition.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Agence France-Presse
  publisherSlug: agence-france-presse
  headline: Mandela libere apres 27 ans de prison / Mandela Released After 27 Years in Prison
  publishedAt: 1990-02-11
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - afp.com
  excerpt: "FR: 'Nelson Mandela, l'emblematique chef de la lutte contre l'apartheid, a ete libere dimanche apres 27 ans d'emprisonnement.' / EN: Nelson Mandela, the emblematic leader of the fight against apartheid, was released Sunday after 27 years of imprisonment. His emergence marks a watershed moment for South Africa's future."
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: France
- publisher: Time Magazine
  publisherSlug: time-magazine
  headline: "The Long Walk to Freedom: Mandela Released"
  publishedAt: 1990-02-19
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - time.com
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Nelson Mandela's release from Victor Verster Prison electrified the world and South Africa itself, ending one of history's most celebrated cases of political imprisonment. The question now is whether his freedom can bridge the chasm of racial division in his nation.
  significance: 85
  type: magazine
  region: United States
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260605221228/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-05
  label: Nelson Mandela
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela"
