The period, 1964 - 1990, was Nelson Mandela's prison years. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 1964 and sent to Robben Island maximum security prison. He was held there until April 1982 when he was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town. In December 1988 he was moved to Victor Verster Prison near Paarl and held there until his release on 11 February 1990.

• Statement from the dock at the Rivionia trial, 20 April 1964
• Letter Addressed to the Minister of Justice, from Robben Island Prison, 22 April 1969
• 'Unite, Mobilise! Fight on!' Mandela's Call After the 1976 Soweto Uprising
• Letter to Mrs. Manorama Bhalla, Secretary of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, 3 August 1980
• Statement Delivered by Zinzi Mandela to Mass Meeting, Jabulani Stadium, Soweto, 10 February 1985
• Message to the Second National Consultative Conference of the ANC, June 1985
• Message of Condolence on the Death of Samora Machel, October 1986
• 'The Mandela Document' - document prepared for meeting with P W Botha, 5 July 1989
• 'A Document to Create a Climate of Understanding' - prepared for meeting with F W de Klerk, 12 December 1989