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Event

South Africa: The Foundations for a Successful Democratic Transition

Conversation with Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada, veteran of the South African liberation struggle, African National Congress (ANC) leader, and former Parliamentary Counselor to President Nelson Mandela.

Date & Time

Friday
Nov. 18, 2005
7:30am – 9:00am ET

Overview

Streaming video and a complete summary will be posted shortly.

The Wilson Center is pleased to invite you to a forum with Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada, veteran of the South African liberation struggle, African National Congress (ANC) leader, and former Parliamentary Counselor to President Nelson Mandela. During his visit to the Center, Kathrada will share his observations on the anti-apartheid struggle and his participation in the first post-apartheid government of South Africa.

A leading anti-apartheid activist since the 1940s, Kathrada was sentenced to life in prison in 1963, alongside Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, and released after 26 years in confinement. After his release from prison and the lifting of the ban of the ANC in February 1990, Kathrada served on the ANC Interim Leadership Committee and Interim Leadership Group of the South African Communist Party. He gave up the latter position when he was elected to the ANC National Executive Committee. Kathrada was later elected to the National Assembly for the ANC, and was appointed Parliamentary Counselor under President Mandela, a position he held until 1999. His recently published book, Memoirs, offers a rare view into his life as an activist and the trials of the fight for freedom in South Africa.

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Africa Program

The Africa Program works to address the most critical issues facing Africa and US-Africa relations, build mutually beneficial US-Africa relations, and enhance knowledge and understanding about Africa in the United States. The Program achieves its mission through in-depth research and analyses, public discussion, working groups, and briefings that bring together policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts to analyze and offer practical options for tackling key challenges in Africa and in US-Africa relations.    Read more

History and Public Policy Program

The History and Public Policy Program makes public the primary source record of 20th and 21st century international history from repositories around the world, facilitates scholarship based on those records, and uses these materials to provide context for classroom, public, and policy debates on global affairs.  Read more

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