Theresa May refuses to say what she did to help secure Nelson Mandela's release

Prime minister questioned over Conservative Party’s response to apartheid

Theresa May refused to say what she did to help secure the release of Nelson Mandela during an interview in which she was questioned over the Conservative Party’s response to apartheid.

The prime minister, who is in South Africa as part of a three-day visit to the African continent, admitted she “didn’t go on protests” in the 1970s or 80s against the country’s racial segregation laws.

But Ms May otherwise opted not to answer questions about any personal involvement in the anti-apartheid movement in Britain, in which Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn played a prominent role.

“What is important is the work that the United Kingdom government did to ensure that it was able to give support where that support was needed,” she told Channel 4 News.

Ms May also failed to directly respond to a question over whether she agreed at the time with Margaret Thatcher’s assertion that Mr Mandela was a terrorist.

The interview came ahead of her visit to Robben Island, where Mr Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of the 27 years he served behind bars.

Ms Thatcher described the African National Congress (ANC), of which Mr Mandela was leader, as a "typical terrorist organisation" and strongly opposed sanctions against South Africa during the apartheid regime.