French institute to restore, digitise Mandela trial recordings

Nelson Mandela's Rivonia Trial recordings are being digitised and made available to the public by a French company. Image: Tal Group Inc

The original audio recordings of the 1963/64 court case, described as one of the most significant political trials in South African history, are old and deteriorating.

INA, the world's largest digital archive, will be in charge of the digitisation, restoration and indexing of the recordings of the trial and would make them available to the public.

The project was announced as France and South Africa officially closed an eight-month nationwide event in the country showcasing South Africa through exhibitions, concerts and other events.

The Rivonia Trial saw Mandela being sentenced to Robben Island where he spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. During his defence, Mandela made a speech that was to electrify the courtroom, South Africa and the world.

It ended with the words: "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

"This trial was a turning point in the fight against apartheid and continues to be a key moment in the global struggle for human rights and human dignity," INA said in the statement.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge