Contents
Walter Sisulu
Organising resistance to apartheid and helping build the ANC’s leadership.
Defiance Campaign · Umkhonto we Sizwe
- Born
- 1912
- Birthplace
- Ngcobo, South Africa
- Died
- 5 May 2003
More people
Walter Sisulu
Walter Sisulu was a South African activist who worked closely with Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo and spent more than twenty-five years in prison.
Early life
Maternal family
Was raised by his mother’s Xhosa family.
Working life
Left school young and worked in mines, shops and a bakery.
Career
- 1944
Youth League
Helped establish the ANC Youth League.
- 1949
Secretary-general
Became the ANC’s chief organiser.
- 1964
Life sentence
Was imprisoned after the Rivonia Trial.
- 1989
Release
Returned to political organising after prison.
Selected work
Defiance Campaign
Helped coordinate mass resistance to discriminatory laws.
Umkhonto we Sizwe
Helped establish the ANC’s armed wing.
ANC deputy president
Served during the transition towards democratic government.
Beyond work
Family
Married fellow activist Albertina Sisulu in 1944.
Mentorship
Helped the young Nelson Mandela find legal employment in Johannesburg.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and career ↗Further source ↗Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
Photo: Commonwealth of Learning (COL). CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
.jpg){kind=link}