Which South African leader founded the Spear of the Nation, the anti-apartheid organization?

• A. Nelson Mandela
• B. Desmond Tutu
• C. Walter Sisulu
• D. Oliver Tambo

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is recognizing how the anti-apartheid struggle broadened from protest to armed action. The Spear of the Nation, or Umkhonto we Sizwe, was created in 1961 as the ANC’s armed wing to pressure the government when nonviolent methods were not enough to end apartheid. Nelson Mandela was the driving force behind its founding, bringing together other ANC leaders to organize sabotage missions aimed at weakening the regime while drawing international attention. Desmond Tutu contributed as a moral voice, but he did not establish the armed wing. Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo were key ANC figures who supported the shift to armed resistance, yet Mandela’s pivotal role in initiating the organization makes him the figure most closely associated with its founding.