A campaign to release Nelson Mandela and all other political prisoners has swept South Africa in recent weeks. The Sunday Post, which initiated the campaign by calling on readers to sign a petition for Mandela's release, commented that "recent surveys have shown beyond any shadow of doubt that by far the largest percentage of our people still regard Nelson Mandela as the number one leader of our people ... his image is well and alive in our hearts and minds".
In response the black community — or those members of it not in jail or under banning orders — made a number of related demands, for the release of all political prisoners, the unconditional return of exiles and the lifting of bans on all organisations. The demand was therefore seen as general and unconditional. Tom Manthata was quoted as saying "Mandela must be released without conditions and his release must not be a condition of a 'national convention' being held" George Wauchope added: "The only people who will decide whether a national convention is worth holding are the authentic leaders of the black people on Robben Island, those in exile and those who are banned and banished".
Support for the campaign came from the Coloured community and the Natal Indian Congress, as well as groups of white students, who held 'Release Mandela' meetings at Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg and Witwatersrand. In Natal a broad-based 'Free Mandela' committee has been formed under the patronage of Mrs Albertina Lutuli, widow of the ANC President. The campaign is also supported by the South African Council of Churches; when collecting petition signatures outside St Mary's Cathedral the Dean of Johannesburg, three members of the Mothers Union and two Soweto students were taken to John Vorster Square by security police for questioning. The weekend of 21-23 March saw many gatherings commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre and calling for Mandela's release.
Speaking at one meeting Zinzi Mandela told her audience: "On this occasion I have not only joined you as a daughter calling for the release of her father — I've joined as part of my generation who have never known what normal life is, but know what it is to be without a father and sometimes a mother, not because one's parents have committed any crime, but because my generation have seen grave crimes committed against the people. We grew up discussing the latest pass raids, whose father had been detained, who had lost a parent in detention, or in which prison one of your parents is, when last they were visited, when the last police raid was in your house ... This was our childhood conversation".
At the beginning of April the Prime Minister P.W. Botha and the Minister of Police L. le Grange both stated that Mandela would never be released.
Mrs Winnie Mandela, confined to Brandfort by a banning order, was harassed by police when she paid a brief visit to her house in Soweto, with permission. On 24 March, on the drive from Brandfort, her car was stopped by a policeman, and her driver charged with a traffic offence in a Parys police station, where there was an altercation with other police officers. On arrival in Johannesburg Mrs Mandela laid charges of assault against the policeman. A month later, when she reported to Orlando police station before her departure back to Brandfort, the policeman on guard refused to let Mrs Mandela enter and punched and slapped her across the face; he also threatened to shoot her with his rifle. Mrs Mandela laid another charge of assault, and the policeman laid a counter-charge of assault against her.
