A SOUTH African who shared a prison cell with Nelson Mandela for a year has spoken about his fight against apartheid.

Zola Zembe addressed a gathering of secondary school pupils at a History in the Making event at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland.

He was arrested and put on trial in 1956 in what became known as the Treason Trial.

He was imprisoned by the South African apartheid regime alongside Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo and their fellow treason trialists.

Mr Zembe, who has lived in the North-East for many years, shared his experiences as a freedom fighter and trade unionist in South Africa with the Key Stage 4/5 pupils.

He was joined by Paul Andrew of Sunderland, who campaigned against apartheid as a student.

Mr Andrew went on to become a UN Observer at the historic 1994 elections when he had the opportunity to hear Mandela speak at an election rally.

The young people were welcomed to the event by Sunderland City Council, Councillor Paul Watson, who encouraged participating schools to consider developing a partnership with a South African school.

He said: "I hope that hearing Zola and Paul's stories about the struggle against apartheid, and how their personal involvement contributed to successfully bringing about freedom and democracy in South Africa, will inspire young people as well as encourage them to learn more about Sunderland's black history."

Mr Zembe said: "Young people are the future, and their support and engagement in addressing the challenges we still face is key.

“I hope that hearing about the experiences of older people can help them in their learning. International solidarity was critical in the struggle for freedom and remains very important today."

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first free democratic elections in South Africa.