biography of nelson mandela in 150 to 200 words

Paragraph on Nelson Mandela | 100, 150, 200, and 400 + Words Amazing Paragraphs

Paragraph on Nelson Mandela – 100 Words

Nelson Mandela was a remarkable leader and an important figure in the history of South Africa. He was imprisoned for 27 years, but he refused to give up his fight for freedom. When he was released in 1990, Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. He served as president until 1994, when he was elected to the parliament of South Africa. Mandela continued to serve in parliament until 1997, when he retired from politics. He died in 2013 at the age of 95. After spending 27 years in prison, he emerged as one of South Africa’s most revered icons and helped to lead the country through its dark days into an era of racial equality and democracy. As one of the architects of freedom in South Africa, his legacy is sure to be remembered for years to come.

Paragraph on Nelson Mandela- 150 Words

Nelson Mandela was a remarkable individual who had a profound impact on both South Africa and the world. He was born in 1918 in Mvezo, Transkei, and became a political activist at a young age. He was imprisoned for years for his beliefs, but eventually became president of South Africa in 1994. Under his leadership, South Africa became a democracy and saw significant economic growth. Mandela passed away in 2013 at the age of 95 after a long and successful career. Nelson Mandela was an icon of human rights and democracy. He fought against apartheid and became the first black president of South Africa in 1994. After his release from prison, he worked tirelessly to promote reconciliation and democracy in his country. Mandela’s tireless work has earned him numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize. His legacy will continue to inspire people around the world to fight for justice and equality.

Paragraph on Nelson Mandela- 200 Words

Nelson Mandela was an influential figure in the fight for democracy and human rights. He was imprisoned for 27 years, but eventually became the president of South Africa. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his work on behalf of the people of South Africa. Mandela is a symbol of hope and resilience, and his legacy will continue to be felt throughout the world. He was an amazing human being who has been credited with helping to bring about change and peace in his country, South Africa. He was also a powerful leader and a prolific writer. He is best known for his role in the struggle against white rule in South Africa and for leading the country to democracy. Mandela was released from prison on February 11, 1990, after serving 27 years of a life sentence for terrorism. Nelson Mandela was a powerful leader and an icon of peace. He fought for human rights and against apartheid, which was a government system that segregated people based on race. He is now considered one of the most influential figures in history. He left an incredible legacy. Mandela was a powerful voice for social justice, fighting for human rights and democracy worldwide. He is considered one of the greatest leaders in history and his influence is still felt today. Read about his amazing life story and see what he accomplished!

Paragraph on Nelson Mandela- 300 Words

Nelson Mandela was a Nobel Prize-winning South African politician and activist who served as President of the country from 1994 to 1999. He played a leading role in the fight against apartheid, and became head of the African National Congress (ANC) in 1961. In 1990, he was elected President of South Africa, becoming the first black leader of a major Western country. He remained president until his death in 2013. During his time as president, Mandela made significant changes to South Africa’s government and society. He abolished apartheid and reorganized the country’s economy into five sectors: public service, private enterprise, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. He also created an integrated education system that included both white and black schools. Mandela was a powerful advocate for human rights, and his presidency was marked by significant peace efforts between South Africa and its former enemies. He is often cited as one of the greatest leaders of our time. Nelson Mandela, one of the most iconic and influential leaders in recent history, was born on July 18, 1918. He became president of South Africa in 1994 after years of fighting against white rule. Mandela’s role as president was not without its challenges – he faced many struggles including years of imprisonment on Robben Island – but his legacy is unquestioned. After his presidency ended in 1999, Mandela devoted himself to helping the poor and disadvantaged around the world through his non-profit organization, The Nelson Mandel Foundation. Today, he is widely recognized for his work with democracy and human rights. He played an important role in the fight against apartheid and helped to bring about change for the betterment of all South Africans. His legacy continues to live on through his work and teachings, and we should all be proud of what he has done for our society.

Paragraph on Nelson Mandela in 400 + Words

Introduction

Nelson Mandela was an incredible person who helped to shape the course of history. He is best known for his work as a political activist in South Africa, and later as the first President of South Africa after the country’s liberation from white rule. Mandela was also a deeply spiritual man, and his moral compass helped him navigate through some of the most difficult times in his life. While Mandela’s death at the age of 95 was a great loss to the world, it also opened up space for others to carry on his legacy. In particular, his daughter Zindzi has made it her mission to ensure that her father’s message of forgiveness and reconciliation is heard around the world. Regardless of your political beliefs, be sure to read Zindzi Mandela’s powerful words on her father’s life and death.

Life of Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 in Mvezo, a small town in the Transkei region of South Africa. After graduating from high school, Mandela enrolled at the University of Fort Hare where he became involved in the African National Congress (ANC). In 1944, he was arrested for his involvement in the ANC and sentenced to five years in prison. While incarcerated, Mandela studied law and developed his political beliefs. Upon his release from prison in 1962, Mandela became the Umkhonto weSizwe ( Spear of the Nation) leader of the ANC and worked to liberate South Africa from white rule. In 1990, after years of campaigning and negotiation, Mandela was elected President of South Africa and served until 1994. Mandela is now retired and resides in Houghton, South Africa.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was an incredible figure in the world, and his impact on history is undeniable. He was a leader of the African National Congress during South Africa’s apartheid regime, and after years of fighting and protesting he was eventually imprisoned and released in 1990. Mandela became president of South Africa in 1994, and led the country through a period of significant change and progress. He passed away in 2013, but his legacy will continue to be felt long into the future.

Legacy of Nelson Mandela

Mandela was a global symbol of resistance and reconciliation. He championed the rights of the poor and condemned apartheid as an injustice. Mandela served 27 years in prison before becoming South Africa’s first black president. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 95.

What Nelson Mandela Did

Nelson Mandela was a revolutionary who helped to change South Africa and the world. He was imprisoned for 27 years, but he never gave up hope of one day becoming the president of South Africa. After his release in 1990, Mandela became the first black leader of South Africa. He served as president until 1999, when he was elected as the first black president of the country. Mandela is now retired and lives in Johannesburg.

Mandela’s legacy spans more than sixty years, and his influence is still felt today. He was a powerful symbol of resistance against South Africa’s white minority rule, and his message of Equality, Justice and Peace has inspired millions. Mandela is also credited with helping to revive the African National Congress (ANC) and leading it to victory in the 1990 election. His tireless work for human rights has earned him numerous awards and honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Background of Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in the Transkei region of South Africa. His father, Thembelani Mandela, was a political leader and chief of the Xhosa tribe. Mandela’s mother, Dolly (Dolores) Madikizela, was a teacher. Mandela attended a Christian school and then the University of South Africa where he studied law. He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1943 and served as its secretary-general from 1961 to 1989. In 1962, he was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island for his role in anti-apartheid activities. He was released in 1990 as part of an agreement between the ANC and the government. In 1991, Mandela was elected the first president of South Africa. During his presidency, he led negotiations that led to the dismantling of apartheid and the establishment of a multiracial democracy. Mandela retired from public life in 1999 and died on December 5, 2013.

Achievements of Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela is considered one of the most influential and significant political activists of the 20th century. He was a leader in the African National Congress and served 18 years in prison because of his activism. Mandela was released in 1990 after negotiations with the South African government. Mandela has since served as president of South Africa and was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1993. He has made significant contributions to peace and reconciliation, and his work has helped to promote human rights globally.

In the twentieth century, Nelson Mandela was one of the most influential and celebrated leaders in the world. He fought against discrimination and apartheid in South Africa for over twenty-five years, leading to his imprisonment and eventual release. Mandela is now a global symbol of human rights and reconciliation, and his legacy continues to inspire people around the world. Thank you for reading this article on Nelson Mandela, and I hope it has helped you learn more about one of history’s greatest figures.

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Short Essay on Nelson Mandela [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF

Nelson Mandela was a political leader and a former president of South Africa. For his contribution to restoring peace and stability in the region, he is still remembered around the world. In today’s session, you will learn about the life of Nelson Mandela in order to write an essay on this eminent person for your upcoming exam.

Table of Contents

• Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 100 Words 
• Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 200 Words 
• Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 400 Words 

Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 100 Words

Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest leaders and freedom fighters of South Africa. He was born on 18th July 1918. He studied law and became a successful lawyer. While practising law, he got involved in anti-apartheid, anti-colonial, nationalist movements and soon joined the African National Congress.

South Africa, at that time, was ruled by a white-only government and blacks were discriminated against in their own country. Mandela, along with other revolutionaries, fought against the oppressive rule. Because of their efforts, the white supremacist government was finally overthrown and Nelson Mandela became the first president of a multi-racial democratic South Africa in 1994. He was also the country’s first black president. He died on 5th December 2013, aged 95. He will always be remembered as an icon of democracy and social justice.

Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 200 Words

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African revolutionary leader and freedom fighter who played an important role in ending apartheid in the country. He was born on 18th July 1918 in a village called Mzevo into the Thembu royal family. Although his family was illiterate, he was sent to study in a local school by his mother.

He later studied law and started working as a lawyer in Johannesburg. While he was still studying, he faced racism and saw the terrible political state of his country. Soon, he started getting involved in anti-apartheid, anti-colonial, nationalist movements and joined the African National Congress. 

South Africa, at that time, was ruled by a whites-only government, and blacks were discriminated against in their own country. Mandela, along with other revolutionaries, fought against the oppressive rule and was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned. However, even after spending a total of 27 years in jail, Mandela did not give up and continued with his efforts to end apartheid in the country. 

Finally, after decades of struggle, South Africa rose as a multi-racial democratic country and Nelson Mandela became its first president in 1994. He was also the country’s first-ever black president. He was an advocate of human rights and brought peace and stability to his country. Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest leaders in the world and he will always be remembered as an icon of democracy and social justice. 

Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 400 Words

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was one of the most important leaders in the history of South Africa as well as the world. He was born on 18th July 1918 in a village called Mzevo into the Thembu royal family. Although his family was illiterate, he was sent to study in a local school by his mother.

He later studied law and started working as a lawyer in Johannesburg. While he was still studying, he came face-to-face with racism and saw the terrible political state of his country. Soon, he started getting involved in anti-apartheid, anti-colonial, nationalist movements and joined the African National Congress. 

South Africa, at that time, was ruled by a whites-only government, and blacks were discriminated against in their own country. Mandela, along with other revolutionaries like Anton Lembede and Oliver Tambo, fought against the oppressive rule and was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned.

However, even after spending a total of 27 years in jail, Mandela did not give up and continued with his efforts to end apartheid in the country. He led defiance campaigns against the government as well as the mass stay-at-home strikes. He also joined hands with anti-apartheid leaders around the world and trained in guerilla warfare. 

Nelson Mandela and his fellow leaders worked hard to end apartheid and bring justice to the millions of black Africans who had been suffering under the white supremacist government. After decades of struggle for freedom and equality, South Africa rose as a multi-racial democratic country in 1994, with the first fully democratic elections held on 27th April 1994.

The African National Congress, under the leadership of Mandela, won the elections by a huge margin and Nelson was sworn as the first president of a democratic South Africa. He held office till 1999 and was focused on national unity and reconciliation. 

Nelson Mandela’s government worked a lot for the betterment of society, granting old-age pensions, free healthcare for young children and pregnant women, building houses, providing electricity and connectivity as well as making proper education available for kids. Even after retiring from the political scene, he continued to work towards rural development, school construction and combating HIV/AIDS. He died on 5th December 2013 after suffering from a respiratory infection. 

Nelson Mandela was an advocate of human rights and brought peace and stability to his country. He was one of the greatest leaders in the world and he will always be remembered as an icon of democracy and social justice. 

That’s all about my presentation on the life of Nelson Mandela. Hopefully, this session has become able to fulfil your requirement.  If you have any doubts regarding this session, kindly let me know through the comment section below. 

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Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was the first Black president of South Africa, elected after time in prison for his anti-apartheid work. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

(1918-2013)

Who Was Nelson Mandela?

Beginning in 1962, Mandela spent 27 years in prison for political offenses. In 1993, Mandela and South African President F.W. de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to dismantle the country's apartheid system. For generations to come, Mandela will be a source of inspiration for civil rights activists worldwide.

Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in the tiny village of Mvezo, on the banks of the Mbashe River in Transkei, South Africa.

His birth name was Rolihlahla Mandela. "Rolihlahla" in the Xhosa language literally means "pulling the branch of a tree," but more commonly translates as "troublemaker."

Mandela's father, who was destined to be a chief, served as a counselor to tribal chiefs for several years but lost both his title and fortune over a dispute with the local colonial magistrate.

Mandela was only an infant at the time, and his father's loss of status forced his mother to move the family to Qunu, an even smaller village north of Mvezo. The village was nestled in a narrow grassy valley; there were no roads, only footpaths that linked the pastures where livestock grazed.

The family lived in huts and ate a local harvest of maize, sorghum, pumpkin and beans, which was all they could afford. Water came from springs and streams and cooking was done outdoors.

Mandela played the games of young boys, acting out male right-of-passage scenarios with toys he made from the natural materials available, including tree branches and clay.

At the suggestion of one of his father's friends, Mandela was baptized in the Methodist Church. He went on to become the first in his family to attend school. As was custom at the time, and probably due to the bias of the British educational system in South Africa, Mandela's teacher told him that his new first name would be Nelson.

When Mandela was 12 years old, his father died of lung disease, causing his life to change dramatically. He was adopted by Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo, the acting regent of the Thembu people — a gesture done as a favor to Mandela's father, who, years earlier, had recommended Jongintaba be made chief.

Mandela subsequently left the carefree life he knew in Qunu, fearing that he would never see his village again. He traveled by motorcar to Mqhekezweni, the provincial capital of Thembuland, to the chief's royal residence. Though he had not forgotten his beloved village of Qunu, he quickly adapted to the new, more sophisticated surroundings of Mqhekezweni.

Mandela was given the same status and responsibilities as the regent's two other children, his son and oldest child, Justice, and daughter Nomafu. Mandela took classes in a one-room school next to the palace, studying English, Xhosa, history and geography.

It was during this period that Mandela developed an interest in African history, from elder chiefs who came to the Great Palace on official business. He learned how the African people had lived in relative peace until the coming of the white people.

According to the elders, the children of South Africa had previously lived as brothers, but white men had shattered this fellowship. While Black men shared their land, air and water with white people, white men took all of these things for themselves.

READ MORE: 14 Inspiring Nelson Mandela Quotes

Political Awakening

When Mandela was 16, it was time for him to partake in the traditional African circumcision ritual to mark his entrance into manhood. The ceremony of circumcision was not just a surgical procedure, but an elaborate ritual in preparation for manhood.

In African tradition, an uncircumcised man cannot inherit his father's wealth, marry or officiate at tribal rituals. Mandela participated in the ceremony with 25 other boys. He welcomed the opportunity to partake in his people's customs and felt ready to make the transition from boyhood to manhood.

His mood shifted during the proceedings, however, when Chief Meligqili, the main speaker at the ceremony, spoke sadly of the young men, explaining that they were enslaved in their own country. Because their land was controlled by white men, they would never have the power to govern themselves, the chief said.

He went on to lament that the promise of the young men would be squandered as they struggled to make a living and perform mindless chores for white men. Mandela would later say that while the chief's words didn't make total sense to him at the time, they would eventually formulate his resolve for an independent South Africa.

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University Life

Under the guardianship of Regent Jongintaba, Mandela was groomed to assume high office, not as a chief, but a counselor to one. As Thembu royalty, Mandela attended a Wesleyan mission school, the Clarkebury Boarding Institute and Wesleyan College, where, he would later state, he achieved academic success through "plain hard work."

He also excelled at track and boxing. Mandela was initially mocked as a "country boy" by his Wesleyan classmates, but eventually became friends with several students, including Mathona, his first female friend.

In 1939, Mandela enrolled at the University of Fort Hare , the only residential center of higher learning for Black people in South Africa at the time. Fort Hare was considered Africa's equivalent of Harvard , drawing scholars from all parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

In his first year at the university, Mandela took the required courses, but focused on Roman-Dutch law to prepare for a career in civil service as an interpreter or clerk — regarded as the best profession that a Black man could obtain at the time.

In his second year at Fort Hare, Mandela was elected to the Student Representative Council. For some time, students had been dissatisfied with the food and lack of power held by the SRC. During this election, a majority of students voted to boycott unless their demands were met.

Aligning with the student majority, Mandela resigned from his position. Seeing this as an act of insubordination, the university expelled Mandela for the rest of the year and gave him an ultimatum: He could return to the school if he agreed to serve on the SRC. When Mandela returned home, the regent was furious, telling him unequivocally that he would have to recant his decision and go back to school in the fall.

A few weeks after Mandela returned home, Regent Jongintaba announced that he had arranged a marriage for his adopted son. The regent wanted to make sure that Mandela's life was properly planned, and the arrangement was within his right, as tribal custom dictated.

Shocked by the news, feeling trapped and believing that he had no other option than to follow this recent order, Mandela ran away from home. He settled in Johannesburg, where he worked a variety of jobs, including as a guard and a clerk, while completing his bachelor's degree via correspondence courses. He then enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg to study law.

Anti-Apartheid Movement

Mandela soon became actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement, joining the African National Congress in 1942. Within the ANC, a small group of young Africans banded together, calling themselves the African National Congress Youth League. Their goal was to transform the ANC into a mass grassroots movement, deriving strength from millions of rural peasants and working people who had no voice under the current regime.

Specifically, the group believed that the ANC's old tactics of polite petitioning were ineffective. In 1949, the ANC officially adopted the Youth League's methods of boycott, strike, civil disobedience and non-cooperation, with policy goals of full citizenship, redistribution of land, trade union rights, and free and compulsory education for all children.

For 20 years, Mandela directed peaceful, nonviolent acts of defiance against the South African government and its racist policies, including the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People. He founded the law firm Mandela and Tambo, partnering with Oliver Tambo , a brilliant student he'd met while attending Fort Hare. The law firm provided free and low-cost legal counsel to unrepresented Black people.

In 1956, Mandela and 150 others were arrested and charged with treason for their political advocacy (they were eventually acquitted). Meanwhile, the ANC was being challenged by Africanists, a new breed of Black activists who believed that the pacifist method of the ANC was ineffective.

Africanists soon broke away to form the Pan-Africanist Congress, which negatively affected the ANC; by 1959, the movement had lost much of its militant support.

Wife and Children

Mandela was married three times and had six children. He wed his first wife, Evelyn Ntoko Mase, in 1944. The couple had four children together: Madiba Thembekile (d. 1964), Makgatho (d. 2005), Makaziwe (d. 1948 at nine months old) and Maki. The couple divorced in 1957.

In 1958, Mandela wed Winnie Madikizela . The couple had two daughters together, Zenani (Argentina's South African ambassador) and Zindziswa (the South African ambassador to Denmark), before separating in 1996.

Two years later, in 1998, Mandela married Graca Machel, the first Education Minister of Mozambique, with whom he remained until his death in 2013.

Prison Years

Formerly committed to nonviolent protest, Mandela began to believe that armed struggle was the only way to achieve change. In 1961, Mandela co-founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, also known as MK, an armed offshoot of the ANC dedicated to sabotage and use guerilla war tactics to end apartheid.

In 1961, Mandela orchestrated a three-day national workers' strike. He was arrested for leading the strike the following year and was sentenced to five years in prison. In 1963, Mandela was brought to trial again. This time, he and 10 other ANC leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment for political offenses, including sabotage.

Mandela spent 27 years in prison, from November 1962 until February 1990. He was incarcerated on Robben Island for 18 of his 27 years in prison. During this time, he contracted tuberculosis and, as a Black political prisoner, received the lowest level of treatment from prison workers. However, while incarcerated, Mandela was able to earn a Bachelor of Law degree through a University of London correspondence program.

A 1981 memoir by South African intelligence agent Gordon Winter described a plot by the South African government to arrange for Mandela's escape so as to shoot him during the recapture; the plot was foiled by British intelligence.

Mandela continued to be such a potent symbol of Black resistance that a coordinated international campaign for his release was launched, and this international groundswell of support exemplified the power and esteem that Mandela had in the global political community.

In 1982, Mandela and other ANC leaders were moved to Pollsmoor Prison, allegedly to enable contact between them and the South African government. In 1985, President P.W. Botha offered Mandela's release in exchange for renouncing armed struggle; the prisoner flatly rejected the offer.

F. W. de Klerk

With increasing local and international pressure for his release, the government participated in several talks with Mandela over the ensuing years, but no deal was made.

It wasn't until Botha suffered a stroke and was replaced by Frederik Willem de Klerk that Mandela's release was finally announced, on February 11, 1990. De Klerk also lifted the ban on the ANC, removed restrictions on political groups and suspended executions.

Upon his release from prison, Mandela immediately urged foreign powers not to reduce their pressure on the South African government for constitutional reform. While he stated that he was committed to working toward peace, he declared that the ANC's armed struggle would continue until the Black majority received the right to vote.

In 1991, Mandela was elected president of the African National Congress, with lifelong friend and colleague Oliver Tambo serving as national chairperson.

Nobel Peace Prize

In 1993, Mandela and President de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work toward dismantling apartheid in South Africa.

After Mandela’s release from prison, he negotiated with President de Klerk toward the country's first multiracial elections. White South Africans were willing to share power, but many Black South Africans wanted a complete transfer of power.

The negotiations were often strained, and news of violent eruptions, including the assassination of ANC leader Chris Hani, continued throughout the country. Mandela had to keep a delicate balance of political pressure and intense negotiations amid the demonstrations and armed resistance.

Due in no small part to the work of Mandela and President de Klerk, negotiations between Black and white South Africans prevailed: On April 27, 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections. Mandela was inaugurated as the country's first Black president on May 10, 1994, at the age of 77, with de Klerk as his first deputy.

From 1994 until June 1999, President Mandela worked to bring about the transition from minority rule and apartheid to Black majority rule. He used the nation's enthusiasm for sports as a pivot point to promote reconciliation between white and Black people, encouraging Black South Africans to support the once-hated national rugby team.

In 1995, South Africa came to the world stage by hosting the Rugby World Cup, which brought further recognition and prestige to the young republic. That year Mandela was also awarded the Order of Merit.

During his presidency, Mandela also worked to protect South Africa's economy from collapse. Through his Reconstruction and Development Plan, the South African government funded the creation of jobs, housing and basic health care.

In 1996, Mandela signed into law a new constitution for the nation, establishing a strong central government based on majority rule, and guaranteeing both the rights of minorities and the freedom of expression.

Retirement and Later Career

By the 1999 general election, Mandela had retired from active politics. He continued to maintain a busy schedule, however, raising money to build schools and clinics in South Africa's rural heartland through his foundation, and serving as a mediator in Burundi's civil war.

Mandela was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer in 2001. In June 2004, at the age of 85, he announced his formal retirement from public life and returned to his native village of Qunu.

On July 18, 2007, Mandela and wife Graca Machel co-founded The Elders , a group of world leaders aiming to work both publicly and privately to find solutions to some of the world's toughest issues. The group included Desmond Tutu , Kofi Annan , Ela Bhatt, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Jimmy Carter , Li Zhaoxing, Mary Robinson and Muhammad Yunus.

The Elders' impact has spanned Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and their actions have included promoting peace and women's equality, demanding an end to atrocities, and supporting initiatives to address humanitarian crises and promote democracy.

In addition to advocating for peace and equality on both a national and global scale, in his later years, Mandela remained committed to the fight against AIDS . His son Makgatho died of the disease in 2005.

Relationship With Barack Obama

Mandela made his last public appearance at the final match of the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. He remained largely out of the spotlight in his later years, choosing to spend much of his time in his childhood community of Qunu, south of Johannesburg.

He did, however, visit with U.S. first lady Michelle Obama , wife of President Barack Obama , during her trip to South Africa in 2011. Barack Obama, while a junior senator from Illinois, also met with Mandela during his 2005 trip to the United States.

Mandela died on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95 in his home in Johannesburg, South Africa. After suffering a lung infection in January 2011, Mandela was briefly hospitalized in Johannesburg to undergo surgery for a stomach ailment in early 2012.

He was released after a few days, later returning to Qunu. Mandela would be hospitalized many times over the next several years — in December 2012, March 2013 and June 2013 — for further testing and medical treatment relating to his recurrent lung infection.

Following his June 2013 hospital visit, Machel, canceled a scheduled appearance in London to remain at her husband's side, and his daughter, Zenani Dlamini, flew back from Argentina to South Africa to be with her father.

Jacob Zuma , South Africa's president, issued a statement in response to public concern over Mandela's March 2013 health scare, asking for support in the form of prayer: "We appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family and to keep them in their thoughts," Zuma said.

On the day of Mandela’s death, Zuma released a statement speaking to Mandela's legacy: "Wherever we are in the country, wherever we are in the world, let us reaffirm his vision of a society ... in which none is exploited, oppressed or dispossessed by another," he said.

Movie and Books

In 1994, Mandela published his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom , much of which he had secretly written while in prison. The book inspired the 2013 movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

He also published a number of books on his life and struggles, among them No Easy Walk to Freedom ; Nelson Mandela: The Struggle Is My Life ; and Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales .

Mandela Day

In 2009, Mandela's birthday (July 18) was declared Mandela Day, an international day to promote global peace and celebrate the South African leader's legacy. According to the Nelson Mandela Foundation , the annual event is meant to encourage citizens worldwide to give back the way that Mandela has throughout his lifetime.

A statement on the Nelson Mandela Foundation's website reads: "Mr. Mandela gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. All we are asking is that everyone gives 67 minutes of their time, whether it’s supporting your chosen charity or serving your local community."

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Nelson Mandela
• Birth Year: 1918
• Birth date: July 18, 1918
• Birth City: Mvezo, Transkei
• Birth Country: South Africa
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Nelson Mandela was the first Black president of South Africa, elected after time in prison for his anti-apartheid work. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
• Civil Rights
• World Politics
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
• University College of Fort Hare
• Wesleyan College
• University of London
• Clarkebury Boarding Institute
• Nacionalities
• South African
• Interesting Facts
• Mandela's African name "Rolihlahla" means "troublemaker."
• Mandela became the first Black president of South Africa in 1994, serving until 1999.
• Beginning in 1962, Mandela spent 27 years in prison for political offenses.
• Death Year: 2013
• Death date: December 5, 2013
• Death City: Johannesburg
• Death Country: South Africa

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Nelson Mandela Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
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• I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I have fought it all during my life; I fight it now, and will do so until the end of my days.
• Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end.
• Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity.
• Those who conduct themselves with morality, integrity and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and cruelty.
• Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.
• Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way.
• When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.
• I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it....The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
• Prison itself is a tremendous education in the need for patience and perseverance. It is above all a test of one's commitment.
• I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.
• During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against Black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
• For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
• If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.
• Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.
• I was made, by the law, a criminal, not because of what I had done, but because of what I stood for, because of what I thought, because of my conscience.
• The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
• Wherever we are in the country, wherever we are in the world, let us reaffirm his vision of a society ... in which none is exploited, oppressed or dispossessed by another.

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Biography Nelson Mandela

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

– Nelson Mandela

Short Bio of Nelson Mandela

A young Nelson Mandela (1938)

Nelson Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. He was the son of a local tribal leader of the Tembu tribe. As a youngster, Nelson took part in the activities and initiation ceremonies of his local tribe. However, unlike his father Nelson Mandela gained a full education, studying at the University College of Fort Hare and also the University of Witwatersrand. Nelson was a good student and qualified with a law degree in 1942.

During his time at University, Nelson Mandela became increasingly aware of the racial inequality and injustice faced by non-white people. In 1943, he decided to join the ANC and actively take part in the struggle against apartheid.

As one of the few qualified lawyers, Nelson Mandela was in great demand; also his commitment to the cause saw him promoted through the ranks of the ANC. In 1956, Nelson Mandela, along with several other members of the ANC were arrested and charged with treason. After a lengthy and protracted court case, the defendants were finally acquitted in 1961. However, with the ANC now banned, Nelson Mandela suggested an active armed resistance to the apartheid regime. This led to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe, which would act as a guerilla resistance movement. Receiving training in other African countries, the Umkhonto we Sizwe took part in active sabotage.

In 1963, Mandela was again arrested and put on trial for treason. This time the State succeeded in convicting Mandela of plotting to overthrow the government. However, the case received considerable international attention and the apartheid regime of South Africa became under the glare of the international community. At the end of his trial, Nelson Mandela made a long speech, in which he was able to affirm his commitment to the ideals of democracy.

“We believe that South Africa belongs to all the people who live in it, and not to one group, be it black or white. We did not want an interracial war, and tried to avoid it to the last minute.”

– Nelson Mandela, Supreme court of South Africa, Pretoria, April 20, 1964

Closing remark at the 1964 trial

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

– Nelson Mandela, Supreme court of South Africa, Pretoria, April 20, 1964. (See: full speech )

Time in Prison

F.W.De Klerk and Nelson Mandela at World Economic Forum 1992.

During his time in prison, Mandela became increasingly well known throughout the world. Mandela became the best known black leader and was symbolic of the struggle against the apartheid regime. Largely unbeknown to Mandela, his continued imprisonment led to a world-wide pressure for his release. Many countries implemented sanctions on apartheid South Africa. Due to international pressure, from the mid-1980s, the apartheid regime increasingly began to negotiate with the ANC and Nelson Mandela in particular. On many occasions, Mandela was offered a conditional freedom. However, he always refused to put the political ideals of the ANC above his own freedom.

Freedom and a new Rainbow Nation

Mandela voting in 1994 election. Photo. P.Weinburg

Eventually, Nelson Mandela was released on February 11, 1990. The day was a huge event for South Africa and the world. His release symbolic of the impending end of apartheid. Following his release there followed protracted negotiations to secure a lasting settlement. The negotiations were tense often against the backdrop of tribal violence. However, in April 1994, South Africa had its first full and fair elections. The ANC, with 65% of the vote, were elected and Nelson Mandela became the first President of the new South Africa.

“The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come. The time to build is upon us.”

As President, he sought to heal the rifts of the past. Despite being mistreated, he was magnanimous in his dealing with his former oppressors. His forgiving and tolerant attitude gained the respect of the whole South African nation and considerably eased the transition to a full democracy.

“If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named goodness and forgiveness.”

Photo: Governor-General of Australia

In 1995, the Rugby World Cup was held in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was instrumental in encouraging black South Africans to support the ‘Springboks’ – The Springboks were previously reviled for being a symbol of white supremacy. Mandela surprised many by meeting the Springbok captain, Francois Pienaar, before the World Cup to wish the team well. After an epic final, in which South Africa beat New Zealand, Mandela, wearing a Springbok jersey, presented the trophy to the winning South Africa team. De Klerk later stated Mandela successfully won the hearts of a million white rugby fans.

Nelson Mandela also oversaw the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in which former crimes of apartheid were investigated, but stressing individual forgiveness and helping the nation to look forward. The Committee was chaired by Desmond Tutu , and Mandela later praised its work.

Nelson Mandela retired from the Presidency in 1999, to be succeeded by Thabo Mbeki. In Mandela’s later years, ill health curtailed his public life. However, he did speak out on certain issues. He was very critical of the US-led invasion of Iraq during 2003. Speaking in a Newsweek interview in 2002, he expressed concern at American actions, he said:

“I really wanted to retire and rest and spend more time with my children, my grandchildren and of course with my wife. But the problems are such that for anybody with a conscience who can use whatever influence he may have to try to bring about peace, it’s difficult to say no.” (10 September 2002)

He has also campaigned to highlight the issue of HIV / AIDS in South Africa.

Mandela was married three times, fathered six children, and had 17 grandchildren. His first wife was Evelyn Ntoko Mase. His second wife was Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, they split after an acrimonious dispute. Winnie was alleged to have an involvement in human rights abuses. Mandela married for a third time on his 80th birthday to Graça Machel.

Graça Michel, Sri Chinmoy and Nelson Mandela holding Peace Torch. Source

Nelson Mandela was often referred to as Madiba – his Xhosa clan name.

Nelson Mandela died on 5 December 2013 after a long illness with his family at his side. He was 95.

At his memorial, Barack Obama, the President of the US said:

“We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela ever again, so it falls to us, as best we can, to carry forward the example that he set. He no longer belongs to us; he belongs to the ages.”

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Nelson Mandela”, Oxford, UK.  www.biographyonline.net.   Published: 7th December 2013. Last updated 13th February 2018.

Nelson Mandela – In His Own Words

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Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela became known and respected all over the world as a symbol of the struggle against apartheid and all forms of racism; the icon and the hero of African liberation.

Mandela or Madiba, as he was affectionately known, has been called a freedom fighter, a great man, South Africa's Favourite Son, a global icon and a living legend, among countless other names. He has been an activist, a political prisoner, South Africa's first democratically elected president, an international peacemaker and statesman, and a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

As a husband and a father, Mandela sacrificed the joys of family life and of seeing his children grow up. As a young man, he missed out on a normal life spent with family and friends and pursuing a career of his choice, to fight for the cause he unshakably stood for.

Most ordinary South Africans knew little about Mandela during his prison years, as the apartheid government suppressed information, and what was released was biased. Limited information about Mandela was available from the international press, anti-apartheid activist groups and the Free Nelson Mandela campaign.

But prison bars could not prevent him from continuing to inspire his people to struggle and sacrifice for their liberation. Public opinion polls repeatedly showed that he was the most popular leader the country has ever had. As the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group observed in 1986, he had become "a living legend", galvanising the resistance in his country.

He is the most honoured political prisoner in history. He has received prestigious international awards, the freedom of many cities and honorary degrees from several universities.

Musicians have been inspired to compose songs and music in his honour. Major international art exhibits have been dedicated to him and some of the most prominent writers have contributed to books for him and about him. Even an atomic particle has been named after him.

Mandela is a universal symbol of freedom and reconciliation, an icon representing the triumph of the human spirit. During his lifetime he not only dedicated himself to the struggle of the African people, but with his humility, and his spirit of forgiveness, he captured hearts and inspired people all over the world. As South Africans, we owe it to this great champion of our nation to continue to live by his example.

The early years

Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela was born in Mvezo, a village near Mthatha in the Transkei, on 18 July 1918, to Nongaphi Nosekeni and Gadla Henry Mandela. His father was the key counsellor/adviser to the Thembu royal house. His Xhosa name Rolihlahla literally means "pulling the branch of a tree". After his father's death in 1927, the young Rolihlahla became the ward of Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo, the acting regent of the Thembu nation. It was at the Thembu royal homestead that his personality, values and political views were shaped. Hearing the elders' stories of his ancestors' valour during the wars of resistance to colonialism, he dreamed also of making his own contribution to the freedom struggle of his people.

After receiving his primary education at a local mission school, where he was given the name Nelson, he was sent to the Clarkebury Boarding Institute for his Junior Certificate and then to Healdtown, a reputable Wesleyan secondary school, where he matriculated. He then enrolled at the University College of Fort Hare for a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree where he was elected onto the Students' Representative Council. He was suspended from college for joining a protest boycott, along with Oliver Tambo.

Shortly after his return to the royal homestead, he and his cousin, Justice, ran away to Johannesburg to avoid arranged marriages and for a short period he worked as a mine policeman. Mandela was introduced to Walter Sisulu in 1941 and it was Sisulu who arranged for him to serve his articles at Lazar Sidelsky's law firm. Completing his BA through the University of South Africa (Unisa) in 1942, he commenced study for his Bachelor of Laws Degree shortly afterwards (though he left the University of the Witwatersrand without graduating in 1948). He entered politics in earnest while studying, and joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1943.

At the height of the Second World War in 1944, a small group of young Africans who were members of the ANC, banded together under the leadership of Anton Lembede. Among them were William Nkomo, Sisulu, Oliver R Tambo, Ashby P Mda and Mandela. Starting out with 60 members, all of whom were residing around the Witwatersrand, these young people set themselves the formidable task of transforming the ANC into a more radical mass movement.

In September 1944, they came together to found the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL).

Mandela soon impressed his peers by his disciplined work and consistent effort and was elected as the league's national secretary in 1948. Through painstaking work, campaigning at the grass-roots and through its mouthpiece Inyaniso ("Truth"), the ANCYL was able to canvass support for its policies among the ANC membership.

The political journey

Spurred on by the victory of the National Party, which won the 1948 all-white elections on the platform of apartheid, at the 1949 Annual Conference, the Programme of Action, inspired by the Youth League, which advocated the weapons of boycott, strike, civil disobedience and non-cooperation, was accepted as official ANC policy.

In December, Mandela was elected to the National Executive Committee at the National Conference.

When the ANC launched its Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws in 1952, Mandela, by then president of the Youth League, was elected national volunteer-in-chief. The Defiance Campaign was conceived as a mass civil disobedience campaign that would snowball from a core of selected volunteers to involve more and more ordinary people, culminating in mass defiance. Fulfilling his responsibility as volunteer-in-chief, Mandela travelled the country, organising resistance to discriminatory legislation. Charged, with Moroka, Sisulu and 17 others, and brought to trial for his role in the campaign, the court found that Mandela and his co-accused had consistently advised their followers to adopt a peaceful course of action and to avoid all violence.

For his part in the Defiance Campaign, Mandela was convicted of contravening the Suppression of Communism Act and given a suspended prison sentence. Shortly after the campaign ended, he was also prohibited from attending gatherings and confined to Johannesburg for six months.

In December 1952, in partnership with Tambo, Mandela opened South Africa's first black law firm in central Johannesburg.

In 1953, Mandela was given the responsibility to prepare a plan that would enable the leadership of the movement to maintain dynamic contact with its membership without recourse to public meetings. The objective was to prepare for the possibility that the ANC would, like the Communist Party, be declared illegal and to ensure that the organisation would be able to operate from underground. This was the M-Plan, named after him.

During the early 1950s, Mandela played an important part in leading the resistance to the Western Areas removals, and to the introduction of Bantu Education. He also played a significant role in popularising the Freedom Charter, adopted by the Congress of the People in 1955.

During the whole of the 1950s, Mandela was the victim of various forms of repression. He was banned, arrested and imprisoned. A five-year banning order was enforced against him in March 1956.

The prison years

For much of the latter half of the 1950s, Mandela was one of the 156 accused in the mammoth Treason Trial. After the Sharpeville Massacre on 21 March 1960, the ANC was outlawed, and Mandela, still on trial, was detained, along with hundreds of others.

The Treason Trial collapsed in 1961 as South Africa was being steered towards the adoption of a republic. With the ANC now illegal, the leadership picked up the threads from its underground headquarters and Nelson Mandela emerged as the leading figure in this new phase of struggle.

Forced to live apart from his family, moving from place to place to evade detection by the Government's ubiquitous informers and police spies, Mandela had to adopt a number of disguises. Sometimes dressed as a labourer, Politicsat other times as a chauffeur, his successful evasion of the police earned him the title of the Black Pimpernel.

It was during this time that he, together with other leaders of the ANC, constituted a new section of the liberation movement, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), as an armed nucleus with a view to preparing for armed struggle, with Mandela as its commander-in-chief.

In 1962, Mandela left the country as "David Motsamayi", and travelled abroad for several months. In Ethiopia, he addressed the Conference of the Pan-African Freedom Movement of East and Central Africa, and was warmly received by senior political leaders in several countries, including the then Tanganyika, Senegal, Ghana and Sierra Leone. He also spent time in London. During this trip, Mandela met with the first group of 21 MK recruits on their way to Addis Ababa for guerrilla training.

Not long after his return to South Africa, Mandela was arrested, on 5 August, and charged with illegal exit from the country, and incitement to strike.

Mandela was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment. He was transferred to Robben Island in May 1963 only to be brought back to Pretoria again in July.

Not long afterwards, he encountered Thomas Mashifane, the foreman from Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia where MK had set up their headquarters. He knew then that their hide-out had been discovered. A few days later, he and 10 others were charged with sabotage.

The Rivonia Trial, as it came to be known, lasted eight months.

Mandela's statement in court during the trial is a classic in the history of the resistance to apartheid, and has been an inspiration to all who have opposed it. He ended with these words: "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

All but two of the accused were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on 12 June 1964. The black prisoners were flown secretly to Robben Island immediately after the trial was over to begin serving their sentences.

In March 1982, after 18 years, he was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town (with Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba and Andrew Mlangeni) and in December 1988, he was moved to the Victor Verster Prison near Paarl, from where he was eventually released. While in prison, Mandela flatly rejected offers made by his jailers for remission of sentence in exchange for accepting the bantustan policy by recognising the independence of the Transkei and agreeing to settle there. Again in the 1980s, Mandela and others rejected an offer of release on condition that he renounce violence.

Nevertheless, Mandela did initiate talks with the apartheid regime in 1985, when he wrote to then Minister of Justice, Kobie Coetsee. They first met later that year when Mandela was hospitalised for prostate surgery. Shortly after this, he was moved to a single cell at Pollsmoor and this gave Mandela the chance to start a dialogue with the Government – which took the form of "talks about talks". Throughout this process, he was adamant that negotiations could only be carried out by the full ANC leadership.

Released on 11 February 1990, Mandela plunged wholeheartedly into his life's work, striving to attain the goals he and others had set out almost four decades earlier. In 1991, at the first national conference of the ANC held inside South Africa after being banned for decades, Nelson Mandela was elected president of the ANC while his lifelong friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, became the organisation's national chairperson.

The era of apartheid formally came to an end on 27 April 1994, when Nelson Mandela voted for the first time in his life – along with his people. However, long before that date, it had become clear, even before the start of the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (Codesa) negotiations at the World Trade Centre in Kempton Park, that the ANC was increasingly charting the future of South Africa.

Rolihlahla Nelson Dalibunga Mandela was inaugurated as President of a democratic South Africa on 10 May 1994. In his inauguration speech, he said: "We dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free. Their dreams have become reality. Freedom is their reward. We are both humbled and elevated by the honour and privilege that you, the people of South Africa, have bestowed on us, as the first President of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist government."

In June 1999, Nelson Mandela retired from the Presidency of South Africa. But although he retired as President of South Africa, he worked tirelessly, campaigning globally for peace, children and the fight against HIV/Aids in particular.

Shortly before his 86th birthday in June 2004, Mandela officially retired from public life. However, he did not retreat from working for the good of the world – as a testimony to his sharp political intellect, wisdom and unrelenting commitment to make the world a better place, Mandela formed the prestigious group of Elders, an independent group of eminent global leaders, who offer their collective influence and experience to support peace-building, help address major causes oh human suffering and promote the shared interest of humanity.

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Nelson Mandela

By: History.com Editors

Updated: March 29, 2023 | Original: November 9, 2009

The South African activist and former president Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global advocate for human rights. A member of the African National Congress party beginning in the 1940s, he was a leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white minority’s oppressive regime in a racially divided South Africa. His actions landed him in prison for nearly three decades and made him the face of the antiapartheid movement both within his country and internationally. Released in 1990, he participated in the eradication of apartheid and in 1994 became the first Black president of South Africa, forming a multiethnic government to oversee the country’s transition. After retiring from politics in 1999, he remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in his own nation and around the world until his death in 2013 at the age of 95.

Nelson Mandela’s Childhood and Education

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, into a royal family of the Xhosa-speaking Thembu tribe in the South African village of Mvezo, where his father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa (c. 1880-1928), served as chief. His mother, Nosekeni Fanny, was the third of Mphakanyiswa’s four wives, who together bore him nine daughters and four sons. After the death of his father in 1927, 9-year-old Mandela—then known by his birth name, Rolihlahla—was adopted by Jongintaba Dalindyebo, a high-ranking Thembu regent who began grooming his young ward for a role within the tribal leadership.

Did you know? As a sign of respect, many South Africans referred to Nelson Mandela as Madiba, his Xhosa clan name.

The first in his family to receive a formal education, Mandela completed his primary studies at a local missionary school. There, a teacher dubbed him Nelson as part of a common practice of giving African students English names. He went on to attend the Clarkebury Boarding Institute and Healdtown, a Methodist secondary school, where he excelled in boxing and track as well as academics. In 1939 Mandela entered the elite University of Fort Hare, the only Western-style higher learning institute for Black South Africans at the time. The following year, he and several other students, including his friend and future business partner Oliver Tambo (1917-1993), were sent home for participating in a boycott against university policies.

After learning that his guardian had arranged a marriage for him, Mandela fled to Johannesburg and worked first as a night watchman and then as a law clerk while completing his bachelor’s degree by correspondence. He studied law at the University of Witwatersrand, where he became involved in the movement against racial discrimination and forged key relationships with Black and white activists. In 1944, Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) and worked with fellow party members, including Oliver Tambo, to establish its youth league, the ANCYL. That same year, he met and married his first wife, Evelyn Ntoko Mase (1922-2004), with whom he had four children before their divorce in 1957.

Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress

Nelson Mandela’s commitment to politics and the ANC grew stronger after the 1948 election victory of the Afrikaner-dominated National Party, which introduced a formal system of racial classification and segregation—apartheid—that restricted nonwhites’ basic rights and barred them from government while maintaining white minority rule. The following year, the ANC adopted the ANCYL’s plan to achieve full citizenship for all South Africans through boycotts, strikes, civil disobedience and other nonviolent methods. Mandela helped lead the ANC’s 1952 Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws, traveling across the country to organize protests against discriminatory policies, and promoted the manifesto known as the Freedom Charter, ratified by the Congress of the People in 1955. Also in 1952, Mandela and Tambo opened South Africa’s first Black law firm, which offered free or low-cost legal counsel to those affected by apartheid legislation.

On December 5, 1956, Mandela and 155 other activists were arrested and went on trial for treason. All of the defendants were acquitted in 1961, but in the meantime tensions within the ANC escalated, with a militant faction splitting off in 1959 to form the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). The next year, police opened fire on peaceful Black protesters in the township of Sharpeville, killing 69 people; as panic, anger and riots swept the country in the massacre’s aftermath, the apartheid government banned both the ANC and the PAC. Forced to go underground and wear disguises to evade detection, Mandela decided that the time had come for a more radical approach than passive resistance.

Nelson Mandela and the Armed Resistance Movement

In 1961, Nelson Mandela co-founded and became the first leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe (“Spear of the Nation”), also known as MK, a new armed wing of the ANC. Several years later, during the trial that would put him behind bars for nearly three decades, he described the reasoning for this radical departure from his party’s original tenets: “[I]t would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and nonviolence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force. It was only when all else had failed, when all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us, that the decision was made to embark on violent forms of political struggle.”

Under Mandela’s leadership, MK launched a sabotage campaign against the government, which had recently declared South Africa a republic and withdrawn from the British Commonwealth. In January 1962, Mandela traveled abroad illegally to attend a conference of African nationalist leaders in Ethiopia, visit the exiled Oliver Tambo in London and undergo guerilla training in Algeria. On August 5, shortly after his return, he was arrested and subsequently sentenced to five years in prison for leaving the country and inciting a 1961 workers’ strike. The following July, police raided an ANC hideout in Rivonia, a suburb on the outskirts of Johannesburg, and arrested a racially diverse group of MK leaders who had gathered to debate the merits of a guerilla insurgency. Evidence was found implicating Mandela and other activists, who were brought to stand trial for sabotage, treason and violent conspiracy alongside their associates.

Mandela and seven other defendants narrowly escaped the gallows and were instead sentenced to life imprisonment during the so-called Rivonia Trial, which lasted eight months and attracted substantial international attention. In a stirring opening statement that sealed his iconic status around the world, Mandela admitted to some of the charges against him while defending the ANC’s actions and denouncing the injustices of apartheid. He ended with the following words: “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Nelson Mandela’s Years Behind Bars

Nelson Mandela spent the first 18 of his 27 years in jail at the brutal Robben Island Prison, a former leper colony off the coast of Cape Town, where he was confined to a small cell without a bed or plumbing and compelled to do hard labor in a lime quarry. As a Black political prisoner, he received scantier rations and fewer privileges than other inmates. He was only allowed to see his wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (1936-), who he had married in 1958 and was the mother of his two young daughters, once every six months. Mandela and his fellow prisoners were routinely subjected to inhumane punishments for the slightest of offenses; among other atrocities, there were reports of guards burying inmates in the ground up to their necks and urinating on them.

These restrictions and conditions notwithstanding, while in confinement Mandela earned a bachelor of law degree from the University of London and served as a mentor to his fellow prisoners, encouraging them to seek better treatment through nonviolent resistance. He also smuggled out political statements and a draft of his autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom,” published five years after his release.

Despite his forced retreat from the spotlight, Mandela remained the symbolic leader of the antiapartheid movement. In 1980 Oliver Tambo introduced a “Free Nelson Mandela” campaign that made the jailed leader a household name and fueled the growing international outcry against South Africa’s racist regime. As pressure mounted, the government offered Mandela his freedom in exchange for various political compromises, including the renouncement of violence and recognition of the “independent” Transkei Bantustan, but he categorically rejected these deals.

In 1982 Mandela was moved to Pollsmoor Prison on the mainland, and in 1988 he was placed under house arrest on the grounds of a minimum-security correctional facility. The following year, newly elected president F. W. de Klerk (1936-) lifted the ban on the ANC and called for a nonracist South Africa, breaking with the conservatives in his party. On February 11, 1990, he ordered Mandela’s release.

Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa

After attaining his freedom, Nelson Mandela led the ANC in its negotiations with the governing National Party and various other South African political organizations for an end to apartheid and the establishment of a multiracial government. Though fraught with tension and conducted against a backdrop of political instability, the talks earned Mandela and de Klerk the Nobel Peace Prize in December 1993. On April 26, 1994, more than 22 million South Africans turned out to cast ballots in the country’s first multiracial parliamentary elections in history. An overwhelming majority chose the ANC to lead the country, and on May 10 Mandela was sworn in as the first Black president of South Africa, with de Klerk serving as his first deputy.

As president, Mandela established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate human rights and political violations committed by both supporters and opponents of apartheid between 1960 and 1994. He also introduced numerous social and economic programs designed to improve the living standards of South Africa’s Black population. In 1996 Mandela presided over the enactment of a new South African constitution, which established a strong central government based on majority rule and prohibited discrimination against minorities, including whites.

Improving race relations, discouraging Blacks from retaliating against the white minority and building a new international image of a united South Africa were central to President Mandela’s agenda. To these ends, he formed a multiracial “Government of National Unity” and proclaimed the country a “rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.” In a gesture seen as a major step toward reconciliation, he encouraged Blacks and whites alike to rally around the predominantly Afrikaner national rugby team when South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

On his 80th birthday in 1998, Mandela wed the politician and humanitarian Graça Machel (1945-), widow of the former president of Mozambique. (His marriage to Winnie had ended in divorce in 1992.) The following year, he retired from politics at the end of his first term as president and was succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki (1942-) of the ANC.

Nelson Mandela’s Later Years and Legacy

After leaving office, Nelson Mandela remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in his own country and around the world. He established a number of organizations, including the influential Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Elders, an independent group of public figures committed to addressing global problems and easing human suffering. In 2002, Mandela became a vocal advocate of AIDS awareness and treatment programs in a culture where the epidemic had been cloaked in stigma and ignorance. The disease later claimed the life of his son Makgatho (1950-2005) and is believed to affect more people in South Africa than in any other country.

Treated for prostate cancer in 2001 and weakened by other health issues, Mandela grew increasingly frail in his later years and scaled back his schedule of public appearances. In 2009, the United Nations declared July 18 “Nelson Mandela International Day” in recognition of the South African leader’s contributions to democracy, freedom, peace and human rights around the world. Nelson Mandela died on December 5, 2013 from a recurring lung infection.

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Nelson Mandela Essay

Nelson Mandela was a statesman and black nationalist leader in South Africa who was born on July 18, 1918, in Umtata, Cape of Good Hope. He passed away on December 5, 2013, in Johannesburg. Mandela, a law student at the University of Witwatersrand and the son of a Xhosa chief, joined the African National Congress(ANC) in 1944. Here are a few sample essays on Nelson Mandela.

100 Words Essay On Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was an outstanding leader of African nationalism and a professional lawyer born on July 18, 1918, in South Africa. He eventually gave up on that, and in 1944 joined the African National Congress. In South Africa, he spearheaded the nonviolent resistance against racial inequality.

He was one of South Africa's finest leaders and independence fighters. Mandela battled against the repressive regime alongside the revolutionaries. Nelson Mandela became the nation's first black president, ultimately leading to the overthrow of the white supremacist administration. He will always be seen as a symbol of social justice and equality. At age 95, he passed away on December 5th, 2013.

200 Words Essay On Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918. He was a native of a little South African community called Umtata. His entire life represents a struggle in South Africa against ingrained racism. He was one of those who were burdened by the impartial system. Thus it wasn't simple for him to fight against the current circumstances.

Nelson Mandela’s Contributions

Nelson Mandela lived through years of being a colonised person before becoming actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement. Mandela endured suffering as an African boy who fell victim to the European expatriate effort that involved 'civilising' local people. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned in the 1960s for opposing the government's racial restrictions. He spent around three decades behind bars, yet he never wavered in his quest for justice and equality for all people.

Nelson Mandela was regarded as a man of strength, integrity, and ideals and a strong, unyielding leader. He was the only person to lead the country in 1994 in the fight to eradicate racial discrimination. In South Africa, he received the first-ever nomination for president of a race. Between 1994 and 1999, he presided over South Africa for five years.

Nelson Mandela symbolised the aspirations for a just and free world even after he left public life.

500 Words Essay On Nelson Mandela

Henry Mandela, the chief of the Tembu tribe, gave birth to Nelson Mandela in 1918. He married Evelyn Ntoko Mase, a nurse, in the year 1944. His twelve fruitful years of marriage ended in divorce. After two years, in 1958, he wed Nomzamo Winnie Madikileza, a political activist and social worker. In 1998, after divorcing her, he married Graca Machel, a lawyer. He had two daughters from his second marriage and three kids from his first marriage.

Nelson Mandela’s Academics

Speaking of his schooling, Nelson Mandela completed his bachelor's degree through distance learning at South Africa University in 1941. He earned a law degree from Witwatersrand University in 1942. He began working as a lawyer in South Africa in 1948.

Nelson Mandela’s Life As A Prisoner

He experienced repeated police harassment between the 1940s and the 1950s, including harassment, banishment, and detention. In 1960, he formed a military wing and went into hiding. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for five years in 1962 due to his illegal international travel. This act angered South Africans, and a strike was called. He was held for two years before being accused of disloyalty, which resulted in a life sentence for him.

His 4-and-a-half-hour lecture, which criticised racial prejudice, is still remembered today. Mandela served nearly 27 years of a life sentence in prison. His detention improved his political standing, which sparked a global effort to have his sentence commuted.

Mandela spent all of these twenty-seven years behind bars. He was kept out of sight and concealed from everyone as he dug limestone and grew seaweed. Nelson Mandela was hospitalised for TB in 1988. After he had healed, he was sent back to prison under less stringent circumstances. He was fully discharged in 1990, allowing him to watch happy celebration scenes at home and abroad.

His Life As A Politician

Mandela's involvement in politics began after he enrolled in college. He worked hard to earn a Bachelor of "Fine Arts" degree. He received a nomination from a student political organisation to serve on the Representative Council while he was a student. He was following his debarment due to his participation in a campus protest. As a result, he travelled to Johannesburg to complete his BA. When World War II broke out, Nelson Mandela joined forces with the ANC's "African National Congress" after receiving his degree in 1942.

Together with the other ANC members, Nelson Mandela formed a group. This group's main goal was to make the ANC a widespread movement. Mandela was a key figure in several racial activities and political campaigns that relied on nonviolent tactics, including strikes, boycotts, and acts of civil disobedience.

He passed away in December 2013. At the time, he was 95 years old. Nelson Mandela received more than 250 honours and distinctions, including the Medal of Freedom, the Bharat Ratna, and the "1993 Nobel Peace" Prize.

He was a great inspiration for me. I used to study the biography of the legend Nelson Mandela. He is known for saying, "A Winner is a Dreamer who Never Gives Up."

Explore Career Options (By Industry)

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Data Administrator

Database professionals use software to store and organise data such as financial information, and customer shipping records. Individuals who opt for a career as data administrators ensure that data is available for users and secured from unauthorised sales. DB administrators may work in various types of industries. It may involve computer systems design, service firms, insurance companies, banks and hospitals.

Bio Medical Engineer

The field of biomedical engineering opens up a universe of expert chances. An Individual in the biomedical engineering career path work in the field of engineering as well as medicine, in order to find out solutions to common problems of the two fields. The biomedical engineering job opportunities are to collaborate with doctors and researchers to develop medical systems, equipment, or devices that can solve clinical problems. Here we will be discussing jobs after biomedical engineering, how to get a job in biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering scope, and salary. 

Ethical Hacker

A career as ethical hacker involves various challenges and provides lucrative opportunities in the digital era where every giant business and startup owns its cyberspace on the world wide web. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path try to find the vulnerabilities in the cyber system to get its authority. If he or she succeeds in it then he or she gets its illegal authority. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path then steal information or delete the file that could affect the business, functioning, or services of the organization.

GIS officer work on various GIS software to conduct a study and gather spatial and non-spatial information. GIS experts update the GIS data and maintain it. The databases include aerial or satellite imagery, latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, and manually digitized images of maps. In a career as GIS expert, one is responsible for creating online and mobile maps.

Data Analyst

The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.

Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.

Geothermal Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as geothermal engineers are the professionals involved in the processing of geothermal energy. The responsibilities of geothermal engineers may vary depending on the workplace location. Those who work in fields design facilities to process and distribute geothermal energy. They oversee the functioning of machinery used in the field.

Database Architect

If you are intrigued by the programming world and are interested in developing communications networks then a career as database architect may be a good option for you. Data architect roles and responsibilities include building design models for data communication networks. Wide Area Networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and intranets are included in the database networks. It is expected that database architects will have in-depth knowledge of a company's business to develop a network to fulfil the requirements of the organisation. Stay tuned as we look at the larger picture and give you more information on what is db architecture, why you should pursue database architecture, what to expect from such a degree and what your job opportunities will be after graduation. Here, we will be discussing how to become a data architect. Students can visit NIT Trichy , IIT Kharagpur , JMI New Delhi . 

Remote Sensing Technician

Individuals who opt for a career as a remote sensing technician possess unique personalities. Remote sensing analysts seem to be rational human beings, they are strong, independent, persistent, sincere, realistic and resourceful. Some of them are analytical as well, which means they are intelligent, introspective and inquisitive. 

Remote sensing scientists use remote sensing technology to support scientists in fields such as community planning, flight planning or the management of natural resources. Analysing data collected from aircraft, satellites or ground-based platforms using statistical analysis software, image analysis software or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a significant part of their work. Do you want to learn how to become remote sensing technician? There's no need to be concerned; we've devised a simple remote sensing technician career path for you. Scroll through the pages and read.

Budget Analyst

Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.

Underwriter

An underwriter is a person who assesses and evaluates the risk of insurance in his or her field like mortgage, loan, health policy, investment, and so on and so forth. The underwriter career path does involve risks as analysing the risks means finding out if there is a way for the insurance underwriter jobs to recover the money from its clients. If the risk turns out to be too much for the company then in the future it is an underwriter who will be held accountable for it. Therefore, one must carry out his or her job with a lot of attention and diligence.

Finance Executive

Product manager.

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for product planning and marketing. He or she manages the product throughout the Product Life Cycle, gathering and prioritising the product. A product manager job description includes defining the product vision and working closely with team members of other departments to deliver winning products.  

Operations Manager

Individuals in the operations manager jobs are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of each department to acquire its optimal goal. They plan the use of resources and distribution of materials. The operations manager's job description includes managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and performing administrative tasks.

Stock Analyst

Individuals who opt for a career as a stock analyst examine the company's investments makes decisions and keep track of financial securities. The nature of such investments will differ from one business to the next. Individuals in the stock analyst career use data mining to forecast a company's profits and revenues, advise clients on whether to buy or sell, participate in seminars, and discussing financial matters with executives and evaluate annual reports.

A Researcher is a professional who is responsible for collecting data and information by reviewing the literature and conducting experiments and surveys. He or she uses various methodological processes to provide accurate data and information that is utilised by academicians and other industry professionals. Here, we will discuss what is a researcher, the researcher's salary, types of researchers.

Welding Engineer

Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues. 

Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

Environmental Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as an environmental engineer are construction professionals who utilise the skills and knowledge of biology, soil science, chemistry and the concept of engineering to design and develop projects that serve as solutions to various environmental problems. 

Safety Manager

A Safety Manager is a professional responsible for employee’s safety at work. He or she plans, implements and oversees the company’s employee safety. A Safety Manager ensures compliance and adherence to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines.

Conservation Architect

A Conservation Architect is a professional responsible for conserving and restoring buildings or monuments having a historic value. He or she applies techniques to document and stabilise the object’s state without any further damage. A Conservation Architect restores the monuments and heritage buildings to bring them back to their original state.

Structural Engineer

A Structural Engineer designs buildings, bridges, and other related structures. He or she analyzes the structures and makes sure the structures are strong enough to be used by the people. A career as a Structural Engineer requires working in the construction process. It comes under the civil engineering discipline. A Structure Engineer creates structural models with the help of computer-aided design software. 

Highway Engineer

Highway Engineer Job Description:  A Highway Engineer is a civil engineer who specialises in planning and building thousands of miles of roads that support connectivity and allow transportation across the country. He or she ensures that traffic management schemes are effectively planned concerning economic sustainability and successful implementation.

Field Surveyor

Are you searching for a Field Surveyor Job Description? A Field Surveyor is a professional responsible for conducting field surveys for various places or geographical conditions. He or she collects the required data and information as per the instructions given by senior officials. 

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Pathologist

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Veterinary Doctor

Speech therapist, gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth. 

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Are you searching for an ‘Anatomist job description’? An Anatomist is a research professional who applies the laws of biological science to determine the ability of bodies of various living organisms including animals and humans to regenerate the damaged or destroyed organs. If you want to know what does an anatomist do, then read the entire article, where we will answer all your questions.

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs. 

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Choreographer

The word “choreography" actually comes from Greek words that mean “dance writing." Individuals who opt for a career as a choreographer create and direct original dances, in addition to developing interpretations of existing dances. A Choreographer dances and utilises his or her creativity in other aspects of dance performance. For example, he or she may work with the music director to select music or collaborate with other famous choreographers to enhance such performance elements as lighting, costume and set design.

Social Media Manager

A career as social media manager involves implementing the company’s or brand’s marketing plan across all social media channels. Social media managers help in building or improving a brand’s or a company’s website traffic, build brand awareness, create and implement marketing and brand strategy. Social media managers are key to important social communication as well.

Photographer

Photography is considered both a science and an art, an artistic means of expression in which the camera replaces the pen. In a career as a photographer, an individual is hired to capture the moments of public and private events, such as press conferences or weddings, or may also work inside a studio, where people go to get their picture clicked. Photography is divided into many streams each generating numerous career opportunities in photography. With the boom in advertising, media, and the fashion industry, photography has emerged as a lucrative and thrilling career option for many Indian youths.

An individual who is pursuing a career as a producer is responsible for managing the business aspects of production. They are involved in each aspect of production from its inception to deception. Famous movie producers review the script, recommend changes and visualise the story. 

They are responsible for overseeing the finance involved in the project and distributing the film for broadcasting on various platforms. A career as a producer is quite fulfilling as well as exhaustive in terms of playing different roles in order for a production to be successful. Famous movie producers are responsible for hiring creative and technical personnel on contract basis.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook. 

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion. 

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article. 

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Individuals who opt for a career as a reporter may often be at work on national holidays and festivities. He or she pitches various story ideas and covers news stories in risky situations. Students can pursue a BMC (Bachelor of Mass Communication) , B.M.M. (Bachelor of Mass Media) , or  MAJMC (MA in Journalism and Mass Communication) to become a reporter. While we sit at home reporters travel to locations to collect information that carries a news value.  

Corporate Executive

Are you searching for a Corporate Executive job description? A Corporate Executive role comes with administrative duties. He or she provides support to the leadership of the organisation. A Corporate Executive fulfils the business purpose and ensures its financial stability. In this article, we are going to discuss how to become corporate executive.

Multimedia Specialist

A multimedia specialist is a media professional who creates, audio, videos, graphic image files, computer animations for multimedia applications. He or she is responsible for planning, producing, and maintaining websites and applications. 

Quality Controller

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product. 

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Production Manager

A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans. 

Process Development Engineer

The Process Development Engineers design, implement, manufacture, mine, and other production systems using technical knowledge and expertise in the industry. They use computer modeling software to test technologies and machinery. An individual who is opting career as Process Development Engineer is responsible for developing cost-effective and efficient processes. They also monitor the production process and ensure it functions smoothly and efficiently.

AWS Solution Architect

An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party. 

Azure Administrator

An Azure Administrator is a professional responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Solutions. He or she manages cloud infrastructure service instances and various cloud servers as well as sets up public and private cloud systems. 

Computer Programmer

Careers in computer programming primarily refer to the systematic act of writing code and moreover include wider computer science areas. The word 'programmer' or 'coder' has entered into practice with the growing number of newly self-taught tech enthusiasts. Computer programming careers involve the use of designs created by software developers and engineers and transforming them into commands that can be implemented by computers. These commands result in regular usage of social media sites, word-processing applications and browsers.

Information Security Manager

Individuals in the information security manager career path involves in overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security. The IT security manager job description includes planning and carrying out security measures to protect the business data and information from corruption, theft, unauthorised access, and deliberate attack 

ITSM Manager

Automation test engineer.

An Automation Test Engineer job involves executing automated test scripts. He or she identifies the project’s problems and troubleshoots them. The role involves documenting the defect using management tools. He or she works with the application team in order to resolve any issues arising during the testing process. 

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• Nelson Mandela Biography

The first President of South Africa to be elected in entirely representative democratic elections was Nelson Mandela. He was a prominent anti-apartheid radical and leader of the African National Congress before his presidency, who spent 27 years in jail for his participation in the activities of clandestine armed resistance and sabotage.

About Nelson Mandela

Full Name - Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Date of Birth - July 18, 1918

Date of Death - December 5, 2013

Cause of Death - Prolonged respiratory infection

Age - 95 years

Nelson Mandela spouse(s) -

Evelyn Ntoko Mase (m. 1944; div. 1958)​

Winnie Madikizela (m. 1958; div. 1996)

Graça Machel ​(m. 1998)

Who is Nelson Mandela?

Nelson Mandela belonged to the Thembu Dynasty cadet branch which reigned (nominally) in the Transkeian Territories of the Cape Province Union of South Africa. He was born in the small village of Qunu in the Mthatha district, the capital of the Transkei. Ngubengcuka (died 1830), the Inkosi Enkulu or King of the Thembu people, was his great-grandfather and was ultimately subjected to British colonial rule. One of the king's sons, named Mandela, became Nelson's grandfather and the source of his surname.

His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa (1880-1928) was appointed chief of the village of Mvezo. However, he was stripped of his position after alienating the colonial authorities and he moved his family to Qunu. Gadla, however, remained a member of the Privy Council of Inkosi and was instrumental in the ascension of Jongintaba Dalindyebo to the Thembu throne, who would later return this favor by informally adopting Mandela upon the death of Gadla.

Mandela's father had four wives, with whom he fathered a total of 13 children (four boys and nine girls). Nosekeni Fanny, daughter of Nkedama of the Mpemvu Xhosa tribe, in whose homestead Mandela spent most of his childhood, was born to Gadla's third wife ('third' by a complex royal ranking system). His given name, Rolihlahla, means "one who brings trouble upon himself."

Nelson Mandela Education

Rolihlahla Mandela became the first member of his family to attend a school at the age of seven, where a Methodist teacher gave him the name 'Nelson,' after the British admiral Horatio Nelson. When Rolihlahla was nine, his father died of tuberculosis, and the Regent, Jongintaba, became his guardian. Mandela was attending a Wesleyan mission school next door to the Regent's palace. He was initiated at age 16, adopting Thembu tradition, and attended Clarkebury Boarding Institute, learning about Western culture. Instead of the standard three, he completed his Junior Certificate in two years.

In 1937, Mandela moved to Healdtown, the Wesleyan college in Fort Beaufort, which was attended by most Thembu royalty, as he was supposed to inherit the place of his father as a private counselor. He took an interest in boxing and running at the age of nineteen. After registering, he began studying for a B.A. and met Oliver Tambo at Fort Hare University, where the two became lifelong friends and colleagues. He became active in a protest by the Students' Representative Council against university policies at the end of his first year and was forced to leave Fort Hare.

Mandela initially found employment as a guard at a mine upon his arrival in Johannesburg. This was quickly terminated, however, after the employer learned that Mandela was the runaway adopted son of the Regent. Thanks to connections with his friend and fellow lawyer Walter Sisulu, he then managed to find work as a clerk at a law firm. He completed his degree at the University of South Africa (UNISA) through correspondence while working, after which he began his law studies at the University of Witwatersrand. Mandela lived in a township called Alexandra during that time.

About Nelson Mandela Marriage and Family

Nelson Mandela married thrice and had fathered six children, 20 grandchildren, and an increasing number of great-grandchildren. His first marriage was to Evelyn Ntoko Mase, who, like Mandela, was also from what later became South Africa's Transkei region. They first met in Johannesburg.  The couple had two sons, Madiba Thembekile (born 1946) and Makgatho (born 1950), and two daughters, both named Makaziwe (known as Maki; born 1947 and 1953).

Nelson Mandela’s second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, was also from the Transkei region, even though they also met in Johannesburg, where she was the first black social worker in the city. The marriage bore two daughters, Zenani (Zeni), born on February 4, 1958, and Zindziswa (Zindzi), born in 1960. The union, fuelled by political estrangement, ended in separation (April 1992) and divorce (March 1996).

In 1998, on his 80th birthday, Mandela married Graça Machel, née Simbine, the widow of Samora Machel, a former Mozambican president and an ANC ally killed 12 years earlier in an air crash. His traditional sovereign, King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo, born in 1964, carried out the wedding on Mandela's behalf (which followed months of international negotiations to fix the unparalleled bride price sent to her clan). Ironically, it was the grandfather of this paramount leader, the Regent, whose selection of a bride for him compelled Mandela to flee as a young man to Johannesburg. 

About Nelson Mandela Political Activity

Nelson Mandela was influential in the ANC's 1952 Defiance Movement and the 1955 People's Congress. They adopted the Freedom Charter which provided the basic program of the anti-apartheid cause, after the 1948 election victory of the Afrikaner-dominated National Party with its apartheid racial segregation policy. Nelson Mandela and fellow lawyer Oliver Tambo ran the Mandela and Tambo law firm during this period, offering free or low-cost legal advice to many blacks who would otherwise have been without legal representation.

Initially influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and devoted to non-violent mass struggle, on December 5, 1956, Mandela was arrested and charged with treason along with 150 others. The 1956-1961 marathon Treason Trial followed, and all were acquitted. As a new class of black activists (Africanists) emerged in the townships seeking more drastic action against the National Party government, the ANC witnessed disruption from 1952-1959. Albert Luthuli, Oliver Tambo, and Walter Sisulu's ANC leadership thought not only that events were moving too rapidly, but also that their leadership was being questioned.

The ANC lost its most militant support in 1959 when, under Robert Sobukwe and Potlako Leballo, most of the Africanists, with financial support from Ghana and major political support from the Transvaal-based Basotho, split away to form the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).

Arrest and Imprisonment 

In 1961, Nelson Mandela became the chief of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation, also abbreviated as MK), the armed wing of the ANC, which he co-founded. He coordinated a campaign of sabotage against military and government objectives and if sabotage failed to end apartheid, made preparations for a future guerrilla war. MK did indeed wage a guerrilla war against the regime a few decades later, especially during the 1980s, in which many civilians were killed. Mandela also collected funds and organized paramilitary training for MK overseas, visiting different African governments.

He was captured after living on the run for 17 months on August 5, 1962, and imprisoned in the Johannesburg Fort. Three days later, at a court appearance, the charges of leading workers to a strike in 1961 and leaving the country illegally were read to him. Mandela was sentenced to five years in prison on October 25, 1962.

On June 11th, 1964, two years later, a verdict was reached concerning his prior participation in the African National Congress (ANC). Nelson Mandela was incarcerated on Robben Island for the next 18 of his 27 years in prison. It was there that he wrote the bulk of his 'Long Walk to Freedom' autobiography. Mandela did not disclose anything in that book about the suspected involvement of President F. W. De Klerk, or the role of his ex-wife Winnie Mandela in the brutality of the 1980s and early 1990s. In Mandela: The Authorized Biography, however, he later cooperated with his friend, journalist Anthony Sampson, who addressed these issues.

Mandela remained in jail rejecting an offer of conditional release in exchange for renouncing armed struggle in February 1985 until concerted ANC and international activism came up with the resounding slogan “Free Nelson Mandela!”. President de Klerk simultaneously ordered the release of Mandela in February 1990 and the revocation of the ANC ban.

Post-apartheid

On April 27, 1994, South Africa's first democratic elections were held in which full enfranchisement was given. In the election, the ANC won the vote, and Nelson Mandela, as ANC leader, was inaugurated as the country's first black president, with de Klerk of the National Party as his deputy president in the National Unity Government.

As South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Nelson Mandela urged black South Africans to get behind the previously despised Springboks (the South African national rugby team). Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springbok jersey, presented the trophy to captain Francois Pienaar, an Afrikaner after the Springboks had secured an epic final over New Zealand. This has been widely seen as a significant step in white and black South Africans' reconciliation.

It was also during his administration when, with the launch of the SUNSAT satellite in February 1999, South Africa entered the space age. It was developed by Stellenbosch University students and was used primarily to photograph land related to vegetation and forestry issues in South Africa.

Nelson Mandela Awards

Nelson Mandela has received many South African, foreign, and international awards, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, Queen Elizabeth II's Order of Merit and the Order of St. John, and George W. Bush's Presidential Medal of Freedom. In July 2004, during a ceremony in Orlando, Soweto, the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, conferred its highest honor on Mandela by granting him the freedom of the city.

As an indication of his popular international recognition, he had a speaking engagement at the SkyDome in the city of Toronto during his tour of Canada in 1998, where 45,000 school children welcomed him with intense adulation.

He was the first living person to be named an honorary Canadian citizen in 2001.

In 1992, Turkey awarded him the Ataturk Peace Prize. He declined the award, alleging abuses of human rights committed during that period by Turkey, but later accepted the award in 1999. He has also received the Ambassador of Conscience Award from Amnesty International (2006).

Retirement and Death

Nelson Mandela was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer in the summer of 2001. Mandela declared in June 2004, at the age of 85, that he would retire from public life. His health had been deteriorating, and he and his family decided to spend more time. 

He passed away on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95, after suffering from a prolonged respiratory infection. He died, surrounded by his relatives, at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg.

Some facts about Nelson Mandela

From 1994 until 1999, Nelson Mandela served as President of South Africa. He was South Africa's first black president and the first to be elected in a fully representative election.

The leadership of Nelson Mandela concentrated on overthrowing the country's Apartheid government, which had enforced racial segregation through the law.

Nelson Mandela studied law at school and then went on to become one of South Africa's first black lawyers.

He was chosen leader of the African National Congress (ANC) liberation movement's youth section in the 1950s.

Mandela established a hidden military movement after the government banned the ANC for racial reasons. He had previously participated in nonviolent protests, but as the government responded with brutality, he moved on to promote an anti-government movement.

FAQs on Nelson Mandela Biography

1. When and Where was Nelson Mandela born?

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, according to his biography. His parents named him Rolihlahla after he was born. This African name was eventually complemented with the English first name Nelson, which was given to him by his teacher, Miss Mdingane, as the name to which he should respond at school. He was born in the Transkei province of South Africa.

2. Why is he also called ‘Madiba’?

Madiba is Nelson Mandela’s clan name, indicating that he was a Madiba clan member (named after an eighteenth-century Thembu tribe chief). "I am commonly addressed as Madiba, my tribal name, as a symbol of respect," Nelson Mandela writes in his autobiography.

3. What is his educational background?

Nelson Mandela began his education at a nearby mission school. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University College of Fort Hare in Alice, Eastern Cape, at the end of 1942. Mandela then enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in early 1943 to pursue a bachelor of law degree, but he never finished it. He chose to take the qualifying exam that would allow him to practice as a full-fledged attorney in 1952 after multiple failed attempts. He graduated from law school in the year 1989.

4. When was Nelson Mandela awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? And why?

Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk, the president of South Africa at the time, shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 "for their work for the peaceful end of the apartheid regime, and for establishing the foundations for a new democratic South Africa." Visit Vedantu To know more about his contribution to the establishment of a democratic republic. 

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Nelson Mandela Biography: Inspiring Life of a True Leader

Nelson Mandela was a prominent anti-apartheid activist and the first Black President of South Africa, whose leadership and advocacy for equality made him an iconic figure in the fight against racial discrimination. Nelson Mandela, a revered figure in history, lived a life dedicated to fighting against racial inequality and discrimination.

As a leading anti-apartheid activist, he fought relentlessly to dismantle the system of racial segregation in South Africa. Born on July 18, 1918, Mandela grew up in a world engulfed by racial tensions and oppressions. His unwavering commitment to justice and equality led him to become the first Black President of South Africa.

Mandela’s inspirational leadership and strong stance against apartheid not only transformed his nation but also made a significant impact on the world stage. This biography delves into the life and legacy of this extraordinary leader, highlighting his struggles, accomplishments, and enduring legacy.

Birth And Childhood

Education and influences, joining the anc, rivonia trial, life in prison, election as president, reconciliation and nation-building, global impact and legacy, what is a short biography about nelson mandela, what are 5 important facts about nelson mandela, did nelson mandela grow up with his parents, why was nelson mandela so special, early life and education.

Nelson Mandela, a prominent figure in the fight against apartheid and the former President of South Africa, had a remarkable journey that began in his early years. This section focuses on exploring Mandela’s birth, childhood, education, and the influences that shaped his beliefs and values.

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in the small village of Mvezo in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Growing up in a traditional Thembu royal family, Mandela experienced both the privileges and responsibilities associated with his lineage.

As a child, Mandela learned about his ancestors’ struggle against colonialism and injustice, which ignited in him a desire to fight for equality and freedom for all South Africans. His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, served as a local chief, exposing Mandela to the hardships faced by the African people under British rule.

Mandela’s idyllic childhood took a tragic turn when his father passed away when he was only nine years old. This loss marked the beginning of a series of challenging experiences that would shape his resilience and commitment to social justice.

Despite facing personal adversity, Mandela was determined to receive a proper education. He pursued his studies at Clarkebury Boarding Institute and later at Healdtown , a Methodist mission school.

These institutions played a significant role in shaping Mandela’s intellectual and spiritual development. Here, he encountered his first influential mentors who nurtured his thirst for knowledge, instilled in him the values of equality and justice, and encouraged him to question the status quo.

Mandela’s education exposed him to African nationalism, socialism, and anti-colonial movements that were gaining momentum across the continent. Through his involvement in activism and student organizations, he honed his leadership skills and became progressively aware of the systemic oppression faced by black South Africans under the apartheid regime.

In 1942, Mandela enrolled at the University of Fort Hare, the only higher education institution for black Africans at the time. However, his studies were short-lived as he got expelled for participating in a student protest. Nonetheless, this setback did not deter Mandela’s commitment to education and activism; instead, it fueled his determination to fight for justice.

Political Activism And Imprisonment

One of the most remarkable aspects of Nelson Mandela’s biography is his unwavering commitment to political activism and the sacrifices he made for the cause of freedom and equality in South Africa. Throughout his life, Mandela’s participation in various political movements and his subsequent imprisonment played a significant role in shaping his legacy as a global icon of anti-apartheid activism. Now, we will delve deeper into Mandela’s journey of political activism and the significant events that led to his imprisonment, including his involvement with the African National Congress (ANC) and the infamous Rivonia Trial.

Mandela’s journey into politics began in earnest when he joined the African National Congress (ANC), the oldest black political organization in South Africa, in 1944. The ANC was formed with the aim of fighting against racial discrimination and advocating for the rights of black South Africans. Mandela’s involvement with the ANC allowed him to actively work towards dismantling the apartheid regime that fueled segregation and oppression in the country.

His unwavering dedication to the cause earned him prominent positions within the ANC, ultimately leading him to become the organization’s president in 1991. Under Mandela’s leadership, the ANC initiated several campaigns and protests aimed at challenging the oppressive apartheid system.

The Rivonia Trial marked a defining moment in Mandela’s life and political career. In 1963, Mandela, along with other ANC leaders, was arrested for their involvement in acts of sabotage against the apartheid government. The trial gained global attention and served as a platform to shed light on the oppressive nature of the apartheid regime.

Mandela’s captivating speech during the trial, known as the “Speech from the Dock,” displayed his unwavering commitment to the principles of equality and freedom. Despite facing the possibility of being sentenced to death, Mandela fearlessly stated, “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.”

As a result of the Rivonia Trial, Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island, a desolate island off the coast of Cape Town. This marked the beginning of a grueling 27-year imprisonment period for Mandela.

During his time behind bars, Mandela remained resolute in his pursuit of justice, refusing to compromise his ideals for the sake of his freedom. He continued to be a symbol of resistance and resilience, both within South Africa and internationally.

Mandela’s time in prison served as a catalyst for change and galvanized the anti-apartheid movement. His imprisonment also garnered significant international attention, leading to mounting pressure on the South African government to release him and dismantle the apartheid system.

Mandela’s political activism and subsequent imprisonment are inseparable from his remarkable journey and legacy. From his early days within the ANC to the pivotal Rivonia Trial and his long years behind bars, Mandela’s unwavering commitment to the cause of freedom and equality serves as an inspiration to individuals and activists around the world. His sacrifice and resilience continue to reverberate, reminding us of the power of unwavering dedication to justice and the human spirit’s capacity for change.

Presidency And Legacy

During his presidency, Nelson Mandela accomplished remarkable feats that would leave a profound impact not just on South Africa, but on the world as a whole. Now, we will delve into his election as President, his efforts toward reconciliation and nation-building, and the global impact and legacy he left behind.

Nelson Mandela’s election as President of South Africa in 1994 marked a historic moment in the nation’s history. In a truly democratic election, he became the country’s first black head of state, signifying the end of apartheid and the beginning of a new era. Mandela’s victory was a testament to his tireless activism and unwavering commitment to justice and equality.

As President, Mandela focused on dismantling the remnants of apartheid and implementing policies that would promote social unity and economic advancement for all South Africans. His leadership and vision allowed the country to transition from a dark period of racial segregation towards a future of inclusivity and progress.

Mandela firmly believed that reconciliation and forgiveness were essential components in building a united and prosperous South Africa. In an effort to heal the wounds inflicted by apartheid, he established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 1995.

The TRC provided a platform for the victims and perpetrators of human rights abuses to tell their stories and seek reparations. Mandela’s belief in forgiveness and his ability to empathize with those who had committed acts of violence allowed him to guide the nation towards a process of healing and understanding.

Under Mandela’s leadership, South Africa embarked on a journey of nation-building that aimed to foster diversity, tolerance, and unity. He prioritized education, healthcare, and economic development, recognizing that a strong and inclusive society could only be built on a foundation of accessible opportunities for all.

Mandela’s impact extended beyond the borders of South Africa, leaving an indelible mark on the global stage. He inspired countless individuals around the world with his unwavering commitment to justice and equality. His legacy of peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness continues to inspire leaders and activists alike.

More than just a leader, Mandela became a symbol of hope and resilience, showing the world that change is possible even in the face of extreme adversity. His efforts to eradicate poverty, promote education, and advocate for human rights have left a lasting impact on countless lives.

Today, Mandela’s legacy serves as a reminder that unity and compassion can overcome division and hatred. His unwavering dedication to the principles of equality and justice serves as an enduring inspiration for generations to come.

Frequently Asked Questions On Nelson Mandela Biography

Nelson Mandela, a South African anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, fought against racial discrimination. He served as the country’s first black president from 1994 to 1999, promoting reconciliation and equality. His lifelong dedication to justice and equality made him a global symbol of freedom.

Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist.

• He became the first black president of South Africa in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison.
• Mandela fought against racial segregation, promoting equality and democracy throughout his life.
• He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his efforts in ending apartheid peacefully.
• Mandela played a crucial role in negotiating the transition from apartheid to a democratic society.
• He is celebrated worldwide as an icon of peace, justice, and forgiveness.

Yes, Nelson Mandela did grow up with his parents. (9 words)

Nelson Mandela was special because he fought against apartheid, became South Africa’s first black president, and promoted peace and reconciliation. His leadership and resilience inspired the world and his legacy continues to inspire generations.

Nelson Mandela, the iconic South African leader, will always be remembered as an advocate for justice, equality, and human rights. From his early days as a lawyer to his decades-long fight against apartheid and subsequent presidency, Mandela’s life serves as an inspiration to us all.

His remarkable journey teaches us the power of resilience, forgiveness, and unity. Let us continue his legacy by striving for a world where every person is treated with dignity and respect.

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Nelson Mandela Resource Guide: Nelson Mandela Biography

Nelson mandela biography.

• Art and Artifacts Division
• Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference
• Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division
• Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division
• Photographs and Prints Division
• Further Archival Resources

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela at the Gracie Mansion, 1990

Nelson Mandela Portrait Collection. 

Photographs and Prints Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black  Culture.

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Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, a small village on the banks of the Mbashe River in the Eastern Cape Province. He was born into the Madiba clan, son of Nonqaphi Nosekeni and Gladla Henry Mphakanyiswa, the chief of Mvezo and an advisor to the kings.

Mandela was the first in his family to receive a formal education; After primary school, he attended the University of Fort Hare, the only Western-style academic education for South African blacks at the time. At Fort Hare, he studied English, anthropology, politics, native administration, and Roman Dutch law. Due to his involvement in a student protest, he was expelled in 1940 and did not complete his degree at the University. However, Mandela later completed his degree at the University of South Africa.

Following his expulsion, Mandela moved to Johannesburg in 1941. This move opened his eyes not only to an industrial city   but to a nation of injustice separated by races. For the first time in his life, he saw himself as a black man in a white society. He began working as a law clerk with Walter Sisulu, a prominent black businessman active in the African National Congress (ANC). It wasn’t until 1944 when Mandela joined the ANC and helped form the ANC Youth League (ANCYL). In 1947, he was elected to his first position in the ANC as the Executive Committee.

After the election of 1948, the National Party gained power in South Africa. Consequently, this began a  formal system of racial classification and segregation; this formal system, apartheid, restricted nonwhites’ basic rights and barred them from the government, while also maintaining white minority rule. Mandela’s commitment to politics and the ANC grew stronger after this election.

By 1952, he was the President of the ANCYL and had drawn much attention from the South African government. Subsequently, he was served a banning order that restricted his freedom of speech and movement. This banning order forced Mandela to not attend public meetings, or discuss an important matter with no more than one person at a time. This was an attempt by the government to break apart the ANC. As the oppression increased, so did Mandela’s efforts. In June 1952, he led the Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws, where groups throughout South Africa executed various acts of defiance in main cities. It was the first large-scale, multi-racial political mobilization against the apartheid laws. Mandela fought the Apartheid politically and professionally. That same year, he and his colleague Oliver Tambo, an ANC leader, established the first black law practices that specialized in cases affected by the apartheid legislation.

The South African government was putting pressure on the ANC, and on December 5, 1956, Mandela’s house was raided and he was arrested amongst 155 other activists being charged with high treason. The Treason Trials dragged on for almost five years, however, the defendants were finally acquitted in 1961. During this time, Mandela met his wife Winifred Nomzamo Madikizela when she was 22, standing at a bus stop in Soweto . They married on June 14, 1958, and had two daughters, Zenani and Zindzi .  

On March 21, 1960, police opened fire on a massive, organized demonstration against the Pass Laws, killing 69 unarmed peaceful demonstrators at Sharpeville . The country erupted into a state of emergency and numerous activists were arrested. Days later Mandela burnt his pass book in front of numerous journalists. The following month the ANC was declared an illegal organization, which caused Mandela and other ANC leaders to go underground and form a separate military wing called Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) also referred to as MK. He became the first commander-in-chief of the guerrilla army and began to train to fight, obtain weapons for the group. Mandela came to be known as the Black Pimpernel.

Mandela traveled abroad illegally in 1962 gaining support, money and military training from various African countries. On his return, he was arrested for leaving the country and for orchestrating strikes. On the day of his court case, he entered court wearing traditional Xhosa clothing making a statement of African nationalism. Mandela was sentenced to five years imprisonment for incitement to strike and leaving the country without official documents.

While imprisoned, the police raided the ANC underground headquarters on a farm in Rivonia and its military commanders were arrested. Based on the collected evidence, Mandela was brought to stand trial with them. Known as the Rivonia Trials, on October 8, 1963, they were charged with sabotage and attempting to overthrow the state violently. The trial lasted for months. On April 20, 1964, Mandela gave his famous speech where he exclaimed that he was “prepared to die” for a free and democratic South Africa. The trial ended on June 12, 1964, and Mandela and the other accused were found guilty of sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Mandela arrived on Robben Island in the winter of 1964 where he spent 18 of his 27 prison years (1964 to 1982). The South African government built a new maximum security building especially for political prisoners to keep them away from the other prisoners. The security believed the political prisoners would influence the other prisoners. At the prison, the prisoners were categorized from A to D, and due to his transgressions, Mandela was ranked D, which allowed him the least amount of privileges. He was allowed to send and receive one letter in six months and have only one visitor. Winnie Mandela visited in 1965 and wasn’t allowed to visit again until December 1968. He eventually worked his way up the prison ranking system and was able to receive four visits a year, where his mother visited before her death in 1967.

He and other political prisoners were assigned work at the Lime Quarry where they dug limestone. The daily routine was to work eight hours a day breaking the limestone slate boulders into stone that was used to pave roads. The work was strenuous and unsafe since the glare from the white rocks caused impairment to the eyes.   

In 1982, Mandela and others were moved off Robben Island to Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison in a suburb of Cape Town, Tokai. Conditions were better here and he was allowed contact with his family. Due to the damp conditions at the jail, Mandela came down with tuberculosis in 1988 and as a result, he was admitted to the Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town and spent six weeks recuperating. That following December he was transferred to the Victor Verster Prison in Paarl, where he would stay for fourteen months before he was released from prison.

February 11, 1990, after 27 years behind bars, Nelson Mandela emerges from prison a free man; his release promised a new chapter in  South Africa. The president at the time, F.W. de Klerk, helped dismantle the apartheid laws, including the removal of the ban on leading liberation organizations such as the Mandela delivered his first speech at the Cape Town’s City Hall on his release day. Mandela continued to immerse himself in politics, holding meetings and giving official talks and speeches. He was elected president of the ANC in 1991 in South Africa’s first non-racial election. Mandela and President de Klerk were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for their work towards abolishing apartheid.

May 10, 1994, at the age of 77, Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president at the Union Building in Pretoria. The ceremony was televised internationally, while numerous people gathered to see in the inauguration speech. During his presidency, he worked towards rebuilding South Africa’s economy that was in crisis from the apartheid, as well as poverty, inequalities, unequal access to social services, and infrastructure.

At the end of one term, Mandela gave his last address to the South African nation and retired from active politics in February 1999. After leaving office, he continued to lend his efforts to humanitarian services. However, his health deteriorated and Mandela was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001. Despite his prognosis, Mandela remained active. In 2009, on his 91st birthday, the United Nations declared July 18th , as Mandela Day, in recognition of his contribution to the culture of peace and freedom. In 2010, he moved back to his home in Qunu , Eastern Cape where he receives numerous visitors, including U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, South Africa President Jacob Zuma , and ANC members. Mandela made a last public appearance at the World Cup final, at Johannesburg's Soccer City on July 11, 2010.

In March 2013, Mandela was admitted to the hospital for a lung infection. For the next months, he is in and out of the hospital and spends his 95th birthday there surrounded by love and support. Mandela passed away on December 10, 2013. South Africa was in deep mourning and self-reflection, and the nation observed this death for a period of 10 days. Numerous memorial services were conducted across the country. His legacy remains throughout South Africa and the world.

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Nelson Mandela: His Life In His Words And The Words Of Others

Joe Richman

In April 1994, the world watched as millions of South Africans, most of them jubilant but many wary, cast their ballots in that nation's first multiracial election. Ten years later, NPR broadcast "Mandela: An Audio History," by producers Joe Richman and Sue Johnson of Radio Diaries. The radio documentary tells the story of Nobel Peace Prize-winner Nelson Mandela through the leader's own words, the voices those who fought with him, as well as those who fought against him. You can listen to a segment of the documentary by clicking play on the audio above, or you can listen to the full hour-long documentary, and read a timeline of his life, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/12/05/249122215/nelson-mandela-an-audio-history?live=1">here</a>.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And as we remember, Nelson Mandela, we turn now to the history that shaped the former South African president. In 2004, we broadcast a series of documentaries about Mandela. We're going to hear the first installment from that series, titled "Mandela: An Audio History" by producers Joe Richman and Sue Johnson of Radio Diaries. It's told through the voices of Mandela, those who fought alongside him, and those who fought against him. Nelson Mandela was one of thousands of black South Africans who flocked to Johannesburg in the 1940s in search of work. By 1948, he was a young lawyer and activist, when a new political party came into power with a new idea: the separation of whites and blacks. It was the birth of apartheid.

NELSON MANDELA: I remember when I arrived in Johannesburg in the early '40s. The fear, you know, of the power of the white man inhibited us a great deal, and the government was becoming very tough.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: ...the (unintelligible) government of Pretoria, while South Africa's newly elected prime minister, Dr. Milan, was sworn in at the beginning of a new chapter of South Africa's history.

MANDELA: I remember I came out of Park Station that morning and bought a newspaper, and learned that the National Party had won. And comrade, Oliver Campbell, said, well, I like this, because we now know that we have an enemy in power. And I think that we're going to have a better opportunity of mobilizing our people. So, when they came into power, it became clear that we were going to be put under a very severe test.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: In these circumstances, the government has decided on the following measures: a prohibition on meetings has been...

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: And immediately after 1948, the apartheid government announced that it was introducing a new series of laws.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: The Group Areas Act, there was an Immorality Act, said that you couldn't have sexual relations across the color line, race stratification, which laid down, for all time, your color and your category - white, colored, Indian or black.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #4: The colored man must always carry these passes.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #5: Photographs are taken at the offices of the Department of Native Affairs. Daily, a large number turns up for reference books. Each book contains the photograph of the owner, his name, race and particulars of employment.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #6: They used a screwed method of putting a pencil through your hair. If the pencil sticks, then you are black or African. If it falls off, you've got a chance of being classified colored.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #5: Naturally, the officials who are employed here must have a thorough knowledge of Bantu customs and languages.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #7: Each time you left your home, you had to make sure that you have a little book in your pocket. And if you didn't have that piece of paper, some ignorant, stupid youngster in the police force could stop you and demand that you identify yourself. If you couldn't, they locked you up. The feeling among the vast majority of people is that the system cannot continue and must do something about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #8: Several hundred natives gathered peaceably to protest the (unintelligible) laws.

Police, mounted on tanks opened fire. 69 natives were killed, 176 wounded. Some of the dead were children, women, and elderly men.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #9: Here were people, just marching (unintelligible) a passbook, and police open fire. For the first time, it showed the world how brutal the apartheid system could be.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #10: The prime minister assured the country that law and order would be maintained, if necessary the defense force would be called in.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #11: The ANC had been declared illegal during the state of emergency, so Oliver Tambo sent out of the country. And some of the other leaders followed. Mandela, it was decided, should stay in the country. And he carried on his work underground.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #12: I went to see the 42-year-old African lawyer, Nelson Mandela, the most dynamic leader in South Africa today. The police were hunting for him at the time but African nationalists arranged for me to meet him at his hideout. He is still underground. This is Mandela's first television interview. I asked him what is was that the African really wanted.

MANDELA: The Africans require the franchise on the basis of one man, one vote. They want political independence.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #12: Now if Dr. Devork's(ph) government doesn't give you the kind of concessions that you want sometime soon, is there any likelihood of violence?

MANDELA: There are many people who feel that it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and non-violence against the government (unintelligible) is only (unintelligible) on an unarmed and defenseless people. And I think the time has come...

I had made a statement where I called for armed struggle. Naturally there was a great deal of resistance, but I believed that the government had left us with no other alternative.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #13: At the end of 1961 the bombing campaign started. Its targets? Power supplies, post offices, telephone booths and (unintelligible) offices - objects, not people. The aim was to shock the government into negotiating.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #14: We were branded terrorists by the whole Western world. And we didn't have nothing to lose (unintelligible). Well, as one man said, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #15: We used to sing a song. One stick, two stick, three sticks of dynamite. We'll take the country the Castro way. Now, remember Castro's campaign was a very short campaign. Within the space of two years they had overrun Cuba. So here were, the (unintelligible), all singing this song, as if to say, in six months' time we'd be free. Six months' time we were languishing in prison.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: Mandela, he had addressed a meeting in (unintelligible). He was coming back and the police stopped him. And they asked him what was his name, and he said David. And they said you're under arrest, Mr. Mandela.

BLOCK: You've been listening to "Mandela: An Audio History" produced by Radio Diaries. We heard the voices of Nelson Mandela, Dullah Omar, Helen Suzman, Ahmed Kathrada, Nthato Motlana, Lungi Sisulu, Mac Maharaj, and Amina Cachalia.

Copyright © 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Nelson Mandela, the life and biography of the great leader a century from his birth

The biography of the man who defeated apartheid and whose achievements keep being told in countless movies and songs: Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s most important leader and one of the greatest statesmen, and served as President from 1994 to 1999. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for ending racial segregation (Apartheid) in South Africa peacefully, after about 50 years of white supremacy, and for laying the foundations for democracy.

Nelson Rolihlahla (“troubelmaker” in xhosa language) Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 in Mvezi, a small village in the Transkei region, south-eastern South Africa. His father was Hendry Mphakanyiswa of the Tembu tribe, which speaks the xhosa dialect, a group of the bantu languages. Mandela studied Law at the University of Fort Hare, which expelled him on 1940 for leading a student demonstration, and at the Witwatersrand University.

Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress

In 1944, he contributed to the creation of the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa’s most important party aimed at ending injustice towards black people perpetrated by the National Party, the expression of white population, the Afrikaners. The actions against racial segregation started in 1948 and Mandela was arrested for the first time later in 1952. Between 1956 and 1961, Mandela was tried for treason, but cleared.

The Sharpeville massacre took place in 1960 (on 21 March, which is now the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination), when 69 people demonstrating against segregationist policies were killed by police forces. In the wake of this tragic event, the government outlawed the ANC. Mandela was considering the need of creating a military wing within the party. In June 1961, the possibility of organising violent actions was proposed during a congress of the ANC, which – despite not sustaining the initiative – established that those who wanted to support Mandela’s sabotage actions wouldn’t be stopped. So, the Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation, MK) was established.

27 years of imprisonment

Mandela was arrested for the second time in 1962 for leaving the country without being authorised and for organising demonstrations. He was convicted to 5 years in jail and penal servitude. Other members of the MK were arrested the following year and tried for high treason. Mandela, involved in the trial for plotting to overturn the government forcibly, was convicted to life imprisonment on 12 June 1964 and detained in a high security prison in Robber Island, off the coast of Cape Town.

Throughout the 27 years Mandela spent in prison, his fame increased steadily. His silent suffering contributed to raising pressure on South African government and apartheid, making him an international symbol of resistance and a martyr of the fight against racism. Mandela was moved to Pollsmoor high security prison in 1982 and hospitalised in 1988. Back to prison, his detention conditions were made easier though he always refused any political compromises in exchange for freedom. At that time, South Africa was isolated for being racist and Frederik Willem de Klerk, the country’s last white president, gave up to international pressure for clemency.

Back to public life

On 11 February 1990, at 72, Nelson Mandela became a free man again. His only aim was ending what he started 40 years before, dedicating himself to black people emancipation. After suspending the party’s armed wing, Mandela became president of the ANC in 1991. At that point, a historic meeting with de Klerk led the two leaders to realise that only a compromise between white and black people would prevent a civil war in South Africa. In late 1991, the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) was established with the aim of creating a new government elected by all citizens. Mandela’s and de Klerk’s efforts convinced the Nobel Committee to award the Nobel Peace Prize to both of them in 1993 “for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa”.

The end of apartheid and Mandela’s presidency

South Africa held its first democratic elections on 27 April 1994. The ANC won with 62 per cent of votes and Mandela became President. De Klerk’s Party, which gained 20 per cent of votes, was anyway included in the first national unity government. During his presidency, Mandela worked on peace and to boost the country’s economy. He favoured forgiveness to vengeance and demonstrated it by creating the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995. Even those who committed abuse and violence during the apartheid regime were cleared.

Nelson Mandela quit his political and public life in 1999, leaving to vice president Thabo Mbeki the task of continuing his path. Mandela passed away in Johannesburg on 5 December 2013.

The article was first published in Blog Internazionale in June 2013

Translated by Camilla Soldati

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Common terms and phrases, about the author  (2011).

In the late 1950s Anthony Sampson spent four years in Johannesburg editing the black magazine Drum, an experience which led to a lifelong fascination with South African politics. He was on the staff of the Observer in the 1960s and his bestselling books have been translated into over 15 languages. He died in 2004.

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A portrait of Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013: A Journalist's Appreciation

National Geographic Editor in Chief Chris Johns remembers the African leader.

I met Nelson Mandela early in 2001 while working with writer Peter Godwin on a story about Peace Parks, wildlife reserves without borders. Arrangements for the meeting had taken a full year.

The interminable correspondence with the officials who surrounded Mandela flew back and forth. We'd only get ten minutes, they said. The former President of South Africa was a very busy man.

Finally, Peter and I stood on the threshold of his house in Houghton, a leafy suburb of Johannesburg. His house was tasteful, but not ostentatious. We were ushered in and offered tea. Mandela was a tall man who radiated warmth. He spoke quietly. The force of his words did not depend on volume. He was intensely focused. You knew he was listening with the full force of his concentration.

Mandela, who grew up on the banks of the Mbashe River in eastern Cape Province and who died Thursday at age 95, was a man of extraordinary discipline and strength. Twenty-seven years in prison could destroy a man. It made Mandela stronger.

He told us a story about being in a prison with a forest behind it. He knew when he was imprisoned how much he'd miss his family and his friends. He had not known how much he would miss nature. He kept asking to go for a walk in the forest to see a leaf, a bit of grass, anything green. But the warden refused, thinking he meant to escape.

One day he saw a poisonous snake in the prison yard. The warden wanted to kill it, but Mandela argued with him. The warden lifted his baton to strike it; Mandela struggled with him, trying to save the snake. The guard was stronger than he was. Mandela fell, the snake struck at him, but he quickly moved out of the way. "All I wanted was to give the snake its freedom," Mandela told us.

The ten-minute visit stretched into four hours. There was no sense of that malady pervasive in the political world that "my time is more important than yours." He knew all about the story we were doing. The idea of Peace Parks—reserves that transcend political borders, enabling animals and people to move freely across a single ecological unit—resonated with him.

Mandela, after all, was about inclusiveness and connection, not division. He had helped erase the lines drawn in the geography of the South African land and soul—that terrible canker called Apartheid. "I dream of an Africa that is at peace with itself," he wrote in a preface to the book Peter and I did later. We all have such dreams for the world, our country, and ourselves.

About three years ago, I read that Mandela had invited one of his prison guards to dinner. He'd developed a friendship with the man. That connection allowed him to maintain his "belief in the essential humanity of even those who had kept me behind bars," he wrote in his memoirs.

He understood the power of forgiveness, because he was a man of generosity and grace. Of all the places I have been, no place has affected me as deeply as South Africa. Nelson Mandela—and those lessons of unshakable principle, compassion, and grace—is the reason why.

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Nelson Mandela Biography In 150 Words, Death, History and Facts

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Nelson Mandela Biography In 150 Words,  – Nelson Mandela, born on July 18, 1918, in South Africa , dedicated his life to fighting against racial oppression. His journey from a small village to becoming South Africa’s first black president is awe-inspiring.

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader who became the country’s first black president in 1994. Born in the village of Mvezo, Mandela studied law and joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1943. His activism against racial segregation and apartheid led to his imprisonment for 27 years .

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Released in 1990, Mandela played a crucial role in dismantling apartheid, advocating reconciliation between racial groups. In 1993, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside F.W. de Klerk. Mandela’s presidency focused on reconciliation, nation-building, and addressing social inequalities. Fondly known as “Madiba,” he remains an international symbol of resilience, forgiveness, and the struggle for human rights. Mandela passed away in 2013, leaving a lasting legacy of peace and justice.

Nelson Mandela Wikipedia, Biography Profile. 

Below is the Wikipedia Profile of Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela Biography : Early Life

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born into the Thembu royal family . His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, served as a local chief, and Mandela was given the forename “Rolihlahla,” which means pulling the branch of a tree or colloquially, troublemaker.

Mandela began his formal education at the University College of Fort Hare, the only Western-style higher education institution for South African blacks at the time. Later, he moved to the University of Witwatersrand, where he studied law.

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Lawyer and Activist

Mandela qualified as a lawyer and opened a law practice in Johannesburg. He became involved in anti-apartheid activism and joined the African National Congress (ANC), which sought to end racial discrimination and segregation.

Defiance Campaign and ANC

In 1944, Mandela joined the ANC and quickly rose through the ranks. He played a key role in the 1952 Defiance Campaign against discriminatory laws. As apartheid policies intensified, Mandela and others in the ANC adopted more confrontational strategies.

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Arrest and Imprisonment

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In 1962, Mandela was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and spent 27 years in various prisons, including the notorious Robben Island.

Release and End of Apartheid

Mandela was released from prison on February 11, 1990, as apartheid began to crumble. He played a crucial role in the negotiations to dismantle apartheid, leading to the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.

In 1994, Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first black president, marking the end of decades of institutionalized racial segregation. His presidency focused on reconciliation between the country’s racial groups and addressing the socio-economic disparities.

Reconciliation and Legacy

Mandela’s emphasis on forgiveness and reconciliation earned him widespread admiration. He stepped down as president in 1999 after serving one term but continued to be active in various humanitarian causes until his retirement.

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Mandela became a global symbol of resistance to oppression, peace, and reconciliation. He received numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Later Years and Death.

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Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95. Despite his death, Mandela’s legacy continues to inspire people worldwide in the ongoing struggle for justice, equality, and human rights.

Nelson Mandela Net Worth

How Much Is Nelson Mandela Worth?  Nelson Mandela’s net worth was estimated at about $1 million at the time of his death, his true wealth base on his legacy and the impact he had on the world as a leader.

Q1: What was Mandela’s role in ending apartheid? A1: Mandela played a pivotal role in dismantling apartheid through peaceful negotiations, paving the way for a democratic South Africa.

Q2: How did Mandela promote reconciliation? A2: Mandela emphasized forgiveness and unity, fostering a climate of reconciliation to heal the wounds of apartheid.

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A biography of Nelson Mandela, specially tailored for young people.

Nelson Mandela In 150 Words

Show More Nelson Mandela was one of the most iconic and remembered figure across the world. His commitment and hard work have led South Africa to freedom and justice. At an early age Nelson Mandela was a lawyer, forming partnership with Oliver Tombo to stop the controlling of White South Africans and earn justice and freedom for the black civilians. In 1956 Nelson Mandela was charged with high treason. After that he was faced with 27 years of jail sentence in 1962 and soon after in 1994 he was granted as the first black president. Nelson Mandela is labelled as the man who put stop to The Apartheid but not by everyone, for example source B15 is stating how Lilian Ngoyi had set such a great example for women and a footprint for everyone else to follow, …show more content… The source is informing us about the speech Allan Boesak made about having rights for everyone in South Africa , she is saying that not just a selected few should be entitled to rights but everyone and no one should give up on it. The purpose of this source is to inform people about the speech. The audience are the people who attended the speech in Cape Town, while this speech was taking place Nelson Mandela was in prison. The interpretation of this source is valid as the source is quoted from the speech which took …show more content… This source expresses the event that occurred on 1st February 1990 when former president F.W De Klerk demolished the Apartheid System and freed the political prisoner of 27 years Nelson Mandela from prison, through this source the reader can understand the accusation of ‘betraying his people’ De Klerk was faced with from white conservative groups. The purpose of this source is educate the audience which are the readers of this book to understand hoe De F.W Klerk was the one to put a stop to the Apartheid and decided to free Nelson Mandela from prison. When this source was created Nelson Mandela was due for release from prison. The interpretation of the source is valid because it states events such as knocking of The Apartheid System

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• 8 Works Cited

n.p. , n.d. Web. 1 November 2013. Battersby, J. “Nelson Mandela.” <library.thinkquest.org>. Oracle TheinkQuest education foundation, 10 January 2008.…

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Related Topics

• Nelson Mandela
• South Africa
• Thabo Mbeki
• African National Congress

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