Anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela is captured by South African police, beginning 27 years of imprisonment.
At a Glance
- Date
- 5 August 1962
- Location
- Howick, South Africa
- Key people
- Nelson Mandela
- Category
- Diaspora & Global
- Source
- South African records (1962) · Britannica
What It Meant Then
His arrest removed the movement's most prominent leader from public life.
What It Means Now
Mandela's long imprisonment made him a global symbol of resistance.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Nelson Mandela Is Arrested.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/nelson-mandela-is-arrested/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Nelson Mandela Is Arrested. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/nelson-mandela-is-arrested/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Nelson Mandela Is Arrested.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/nelson-mandela-is-arrested/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.