The Freedom Charter 1955

• Held in Kliptown (1955), by the ANC and attended by resistance groups, arguably the first democratic meeting post-1948 and considered a 'step up' from previous opposition (e.g. the defiance campaign)
• 3,000 delegates attended (320 Indians, 230 coloureds, 112 whites, and 2,200 black South Africans), it was secretly watched by Mandela and Sisulu who had been banned and the crowd was surrounded by police
• Government passed legislation (e.g. Suppression of Communism Act) to prevent resistance and introduced banning orders to restrict people’s political activities
• Freedom Charter created a list of future demands (created an ANC manifesto with popular support, became the basis for their protests)
• Demand 1: The people shall govern, 1 person = 1 vote
• Demand 2: All national groups shall have equal rights, end Apartheid
• Demand 3: All people shall share in the nation's wealth; the minerals, banks, industries, and wealth belong to all the people
• Demand 4: The land is shared by those who work it (land to be re-divided among farmers, no matter their race)
• Demand 5: All shall be equal before the law; fair trials and end banning orders
• Demand 6: All shall enjoy human rights; everyone should have the right to speak, organise, meet, publish, preach, worship, and educate their children freely - abolish pass laws
• Demand 7: There shall be work and security; trade unions shall be recognised, and equal pay for equal work for men and women of all races, sick leave for all workers and maternity pay for mothers
• Demand 8: The doors of learning and culture shall be opened; education shall be free, compulsory, and equal for all children
• Demand 9: There shall be houses, security, and comfort; rents and prices lowered, food for all, free medical care, slums demolished, elderly, orphans, disabled, and sick to be cared for by the government
• Demand 10: Let there be peace and friendship; South Africa will respect the independence of all nations and seek to resolve disputes by negotiation)