Mu ntangiriro z’imyaka ya 1960, Afurika y’Epfo yari igihugu cyari cyaragizwe indiri y’akarengane, aho abirabura bafatwaga nk’aho atari abantu.
Muri ibyo bihe by’ubwigunge n’igitugu cya politiki ya Apartheid, havugwaga umugabo w’intwari witwaga Nelson Mandela, waje kuba umuyobozi w’ishyaka rya African National Congress (ANC), akaba n’umwe mu bashinze ishami ryaryo rya gisirikare.
Mandela yashyigikiye ko harwanywa iryo vanguramoko binyuze mu nzira zitandukanye, harimo no gukoresha uburyo bwa gisirikare, ariko atari bwo yashyiraga imbere. Mu mwaka wa 1962, Mandela yarafashwe, maze ajyanwa gufungwa.
Ku itariki ya 12 Kamena 1964 ubwo urubanza rwa “Rivonia Trial” rwasozwaga, Mandela n’abandi 7 bahanishwa igifungo cya burundu bazira kurwanya ubutegetsi bw’ivangura.
Ubwo yahanwaga igifungo cya burundu, Nelson Mandela yaranzwe n’ijambo ryamamaye ryatumye isi yose imufata nk’intwari y’ukuri. Yaravuze ati: “Naharaniraga amahame yo kubaho kwa buri muntu afite uburenganzira, afite icyubahiro kandi yisanzuye. Ni intego niteguye no gupfira.”(Nelson Mandela, 1964).
Ibi byabaye igicaniro cy’imyumvire y’abaturage benshi bo muri Afurika n’ahandi ku isi. Ifungwa rye ntiryabaye gusa igihano, ahubwo ryahindutse ikimenyetso cy’icyizere, ryerekana ko nubwo umuntu ashobora gufungwa umubiri, ibitekerezo bye n’icyerekezo ntibishobora gupfa.
Tariki ya 12 Kamena 1964 ni imwe mu matariki y’ingenzi mu mateka ya Afurika y’Epfo no mu rugamba mpuzamahanga rwo guharanira uburenganzira bwa muntu. Uwo munsi, ubutegetsi bw’ivangura bwari bwizihiwe no guhanisha Mandela igifungo cya burundu, ariko amateka yaje kwerekana ko uwo munsi wari itariki y’intsinzi y’ukuri no kwiyemezi.
Mandela yamaze imyaka 27 afunzwe, ariko aho kugira ngo afatwe nk’uwatsinzwe, yazamuwe mu rwego rw’intwari y’isi. Yarafunguwe mu 1990, maze mu 1994 aba Perezida wa mbere w’umwirabura wa Afurika y’Epfo, biturutse ku matora rusange.