Photos

Nelson Mandela visited the family of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence on his visit to London in May 1993. Stephen was stabbed to death by a white racist gang when he was waiting at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, on 22 April.

A conference organised by the AAM in London in June 1993 discussed post-apartheid solidarity and mapped out a new agenda of support for the people of Southern Africa. The conference was convened by AAM President Trevor Huddleston and the former President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, with the support of the UN Special Committee against Apartheid. The main speakers were Walter Sisulu and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Left to right: Graca Machel, Desmond Tutu, Abdul Minty, Trevor Huddleston, Julius Nyerere and Walter Sisulu.

Archbishops Desmond Tutu and Trevor Huddleston at the ‘Making Hope a Reality’ conference held in London, 14–15 June 1993. The conference discussed post-apartheid solidarity and mapped out a new agenda of support for the people of Southern Africa. It was convened by Trevor Huddleston and the former President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, and organised by the AAM in co-operation with the UN Special Committee against Apartheid. The main speakers were Walter Sisulu and Desmond Tutu.

A big crowd in Trafalgar Square heard Walter Sisulu demand immediate agreement on an election date on 20 June 1993. The rally was the climax of the AAM’s campaign to win support in Britain for one person one vote elections and a unitary constitution for South Africa. Also on the platform were Bill Morris, General Secretary of the British transport workers union, Lorna Fitzsimmons, President of the National Union of Students and MPs Michael Meacher and Simon Hughes. In a dramatic breakthrough two weeks later, on 2 July, it was agreed that an election would be held on 27 April 1994.

A big crowd in Trafalgar Square heard Walter Sisulu demand immediate agreement on an election date on 20 June 1993. The rally was the climax of the AAM’s campaign to win support in Britain for one person one vote elections and a unitary constitution for South Africa. Also on the platform were Bill Morris, General Secretary of the British transport workers union, Lorna Fitzsimmons, President of the National Union of Students and MPs Michael Meacher and Simon Hughes. In a dramatic breakthrough two weeks later, on 2 July, it was agreed that an election would be held on 27 April 1994.

ANC representative Mendi Msimang with Labour MP John Prescott at the trade union congress in September 1993. The TUC gave its full backing to the ANC’s Votes for Freedom campaign and asked British unions to donate to the ANC’s election fund. It also asked affiliated unions to support their sister unions in South Africa.

Bill Morris, General Secretary of the British transport workers union TGWU, presented a cheque for £20,000 to the ANC’s UK representative Mendi Msimang at the trade union congress in September 1993. The donation was for the ANC’s election fund, which had a £1 million target in Britain. The shopworkers union USDAW, the Fire Brigades Union, civil servants union CPSA, Manufacturing Science and Finance (MSF) and the general workers union GMB all made big donations.

In October 1993 Nelson Mandela visited Glasgow, the first British local council to present him with the freedom of the city, in 1981. AAM President Trevor Huddleston presented him with a special scroll commemorating the award of the freedom of nine British local authorities.