Mandela and Tambo was a South African law firm established by
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...
and
Oliver Tambo
Oliver Reginald Kaizana Tambo (27 October 191724 April 1993) was a South African anti-apartheid politician and revolutionary who served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1967 to 1991.
Biography
Higher education
Oliv ...
in Johannesburg in late 1952. It was the first "Attorney Firm" in the country to be run by black partners.
In August 1952, Mandela had opened his own firm
but, after just several months, he invited Tambo to join him in the establishment of Mandela and Tambo in two small rooms at
Chancellor House, the building housing the headquarters of the African National Congress. The firm was inundated with clients seeking redress from acts of the oppressive apartheid regime. In South Africa, "Attorney Firms" would deal with lay clients directly and draft most of the paperwork, and "instruct" an Advocate, either practising independently or in-house with the firm, to plead before the Court. Tambo would do much of the paperwork in the office whilst Mandela did most of the advocacy before the magistrates in the courts opposite.
Later others joined the firm, including
Duma Nokwe,
Ruth Mompati,
Mendi Msimang and Godfrey Pitje.
The firm was closed down in 1960 as Mandela faced charges of treason and Tambo fled the country. The
law office building was later gutted by fire and was an urban slum for many years before being completely refurbished and opened as the
Chancellor House museum and archive in 2011.
Mandela and Tambo were personally reunited in an emotional private meeting in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
in March 1990.
References
Anti-apartheid activists
History of South Africa
Nelson Mandela
Law firms of South Africa
Defunct law firms of South Africa
Law firms established in 1952
1952 establishments in South Africa
1960 disestablishments in South Africa
Law firms disestablished in 1960
Companies based in Johannesburg
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