1962–1963

After 16 December MK's focus began to shift away from sabotage towards guerrilla war. There was no formal decision. It was something that seemed to develop spontaneously from the idea that sabotage would somehow lead to a ‘next phase’.

The High Command arranged for some of its senior people to go abroad for advanced training and MK units started recruiting young volunteers for guerrilla training. Special teams were arranging for secretive transport to take them across the borders illegally and bring them back again at some indeterminate time when training was complete. Detailed intelligence studies of the country's military, economic and communication installations were being made and mapped. While all this was going on, the High Command was developing a strategic plan for the next stage, which it eventually adopted under the title of ‘Operation Mayibuye’.

It was almost inevitable that much of the High Command's activity centred on Liliesleaf Farm, though without the formal authorisation of the party CC. Mandela's own stay there had been agreed to by the CC and thus, by implication, his activities in the ANC and as the MK commander in chief would be expected to be conducted from there. The CC had never intended to turn the place from a ‘safe house’ into MK's semi-permanent headquarters, yet that is what it came to be.

At first, responsibilities for Liliesleaf security had been overseen by Mandela and the party. The High Command, which took over Mandela's responsibility for MK, appeared to assume it had also taken over the custody of all the Liliesleaf security. Boldness and daring were necessary qualities for the cloak and dagger nature of their activity, but they seemed to encourage a casual, almost reckless disregard for security. Things which need not have been done there, were, because it was easy and available. Things that should never have been kept there, were; and people who should not have known of its existence were taken there, perhaps because it was easiest at a time when there were few other options. Unconsciously, MK was turning our safe house into a place of peril.