Episode Information

The whole world watched Nelson Mandela walk to freedom on the 11th of February 1990 after twenty seven years in jail. For nearly everyone, it was their first glimpse of the famous political prisoner. Photographs of Mandela had been banned by the apartheid regime. The only images in circulation at the time were of a much younger man. 'First Steps to Freedom' re-lives the historic day when South Africa gripped world attention. It shows the rising tension as the moment for Mandela’s release draws near, the astonishing human crush outside the jail, the flaring of tempers as journalists jostle with one another to cover the story, and the unforgettable scenes as well-wishers rush to hug Mandela or shake his hand. Using interviews with Mandela, the then president F.W. de Klerk, and journalists and cameramen there to cover the event, 'First Steps to Freedom is a dramatic, sometimes amusing account of how the world celebrated the release of a man who went on to become a global icon.