Brainy Quote ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done’ ~ Nelson Mandela 002

Nelson Mandela Biography.com

Civil Rights Activist, President (non-U.S.), Writer (1918–2013)

Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa in 1994, serving until 1999. A symbol of global peacemaking, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

QUOTES: “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.”—Nelson Mandela

Synopsis

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, Transkei, South Africa. Becoming actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement in his 20s, Mandela joined the African National Congress in 1942. For 20 years, he directed a campaign of peaceful, nonviolent defiance against the South African government and its racist policies. 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. In 1994, Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president. In 2009, Mandela’s birthday (July 18) was declared “Mandela Day” to promote global peace and celebrate the South African leader’s legacy. Mandela died at his home in Johannesburg on December 5, 2013, at age 95.

Early Life

Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918, in the tiny village of Mvezo, on the banks of the Mbashe River in Transkei, South Africa. “Rolihlahla” in the Xhosa language literally means “pulling the branch of a tree,” but more commonly translates as “troublemaker.”

Nelson 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 foot paths 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 rights-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 9 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 whites, white men took all of these things for themselves.

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.

From the time Mandela came under the guardianship of Regent Jongintaba, he 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 College of Fort Hare, the only residential center of higher learning for blacks in South Africa at the time. Fort Hare was considered Africa’s equivalent of the University of Oxford or Harvard University, drawing scholars from all parts of sub-Sahara 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’s Dr. Kerr 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.

Mandela’s Imprisonment

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 Witwatersrand in Johannesburg to study law.

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 blacks.

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.

In 1961, Mandela, who was formerly committed to nonviolent protest, began to believe that armed struggle was the only way to achieve change. He subsequently co-founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, also known as MK, an armed offshoot of the ANC dedicated to sabotage and 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.

Nelson Mandela 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. 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 unbanned the ANC, removed restrictions on political groups and suspended executions.

Prison Release and Presidency

Upon his release from prison, Nelson 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. Mandela continued to negotiate with President F.W. 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.

In 1993, Mandela and President de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work toward dismantling apartheid. And due in no small part to their work, negotiations between black and white South Africans prevailed: On April 27, 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections. Nelson 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.

Also in 1994, Mandela published an autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, much of which he had secretly written while in prison. The following year, he was awarded the Order of Merit.

From 1994 until June 1999, 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 whites and blacks, 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.

Mandela also worked to protect South Africa’s economy from collapse during his presidency. 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, Nelson 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. 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 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 convened a group of world leaders, including Graca Machel (whom Mandela wed in 1998), Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Jimmy Carter, Li Zhaoxing, Mary Robinson and Muhammad Yunus, to address some of the world’s toughest issues. Aiming to work both publicly and privately to find solutions to problems around the globe, the group was aptly named “The Elders.” 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—a disease that killed Mandela’s son, Makgatho, in 2005.

In Recent Years

Nelson 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. 

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, Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, canceled a scheduled appearance in London to remain at her husband’s his side, and his daughter, Zenani Dlamini, Argentina’s South African ambassador, flew back 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.

Death and Legacy

On December 5, 2013, at the age of 95, Nelson Mandela died at his home in Johannesburg, South Africa. Zuma released a statement later that day, in which he spoke 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. For decades to come, Nelson Mandela will continue to be a source of inspiration for civil rights activists worldwide.

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 Centre of Memory, 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 Centre of Memory’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.”

Personal Life

Mandela was married three times, beginning with Evelyn Ntoko Mase (m. 1944-1957). The couple had four children together: Madiba Thembekile, Makgatho (d. 2005), Makaziwe and Maki. Mandela wed Winnie Madikizelain 1958; the couple had two daughters together, Zenani and Zindziswa, before splitting in 1996. Two years later, Mandela married Graca Machel, with whom he remained until his death in 2013.

Adopted from: https://www.biography.com/people/nelson-mandela-9397017

Nelson Mandela Biography

A Nobel laureate, Nelson Mandela was the man responsible for overthrowing apartheid & unifying the country of South Africa. Check out this biography to know in details about his life, childhood, profile & timeline.

Quick Facts

Famous As: Anti-Apartheid Activist, President of ANC and Former President of South Africa

Nationality: South African

Political Ideology: African National Congress

Birth Date: July 18, 1918

Died At Age: 95

Sun Sign: Cancer

Born In: Mvezo

Father: Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa

Mother: Nosekeni Fanny

Spouses/Partners: Graça Machel (M. 1998), Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (M. 1958–1996), Evelyn Ntoko (M. 1944–1958)

Children: Makgatho Mandela, Makaziwe Mandela, Zindziswa Mandela, Zenani Mandela, Madiba Thembekile Mandela

Religion: Christianity (Methodism)

Died On: December 5, 2013

Personality: ENFJ

Ironically, his baptized forename, ‘Rolihlahla’ meaning ‘troublemaker’, blended well with his personality over the growing years as Nelson Mandela caused serious trouble to the government of South Africa, through this anti-apartheid movement and revolutionary ways. Inheriting the ‘proud rebelliousness’ and ‘sense of fairness from his father, Mandela was raised in a Methodist Christian community. Ever since a young age, he was actively involved in anti-colonial politics, which led to his joining the ANC. The admittance was a historic one not only in the life of Mandela but that of every countrymen of South Africa, as it eventually led to a discrimination-free country. Inspired by Gandhi and committed to non-violent struggle, Mandela however moved to armed struggle after a phase of time. This was basically due to failure of non-violent protest against apartheid and increasing repression and violence from the state. In his 67 years long political career, Mandela led numerous movements, and was arrested, convicted and imprisoned various times, the longest being the 27 years life imprisonment. However, all the pain was worth it as year 1994 marked the end of apartheid and holding of multi-racial elections. What’s more, Mandela became the inaugural President of the country (apart from being the first black South African to hold the office). Probably, this is why he is referred to by numerous titles, including ‘the father of the nation’, ‘the founding father of democracy’, ‘the national liberator, the saviour, its Washington and Lincoln rolled into one’.

Childhood & Early Life

• Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela, on July 18, 1918, to Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa and Nosekeni Fanny. His father served as a local chief and councillor to the monarch. He was a polygamist with four wives and thirteen children, including four boys and nine girls.
• Mandela grew up in the village of Qunu. Much of his early years were spent herding the cattle and playing with other boys of the district. Though both his parents were illiterate, they realized the importance of education and sent Mandela to a Methodist school when he was seven. Two years later, Mandela acquired the first name, Nelson, which was given to him by his teacher.
• Post the death of his father, Mandela was entrusted to Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo by his mother. He became a significant part of the Dalindyebo family, who treated young Mandela as their own child.
• He attended a mission school which was located near the palace. It was here that his interest in African history grew tremendously. Alongside this, he also studied other subjects like English, Xhosa, history and geography.
• When Mandela turned 16, he travelled to Tyhalarha to undergo the circumcision ritual that symbolically marked the transition from boys to men. After the rite was over, he was given the name ‘Dalibunga’
• Mandela attained his secondary education from reputed institution, post which he enrolled at the Methodist college in Fort Beaufort in 1937. Though the teachers emphasized on the significance and superiority of English culture and government, Mandela found his true calling in native African culture.
• He then attended the University of Fort Hare to attain his graduation degree but due to his involvement in the Student Representative Council and his boycotting against the university policies, he was told to leave.
• Mandela moved to Johannesburg in 1941. While he completed his BA via a correspondence course during the night, most of the time during the day was dedicated to working for the African National Congress activist, Walter Sisulu.

Political Pursuits

• Post completing his BA in 1943, Mandela enrolled at the University of Witwatersrand to initiate his law studies. He was the only native African in his class. Mandela joined the ANC under the leadership of Sisulu, who was increasingly influencing Mandela.
• It was during this time that Mandela’s political ideals were formed. He became actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement and even suggested the need for a youth wing in ANC, which led to the establishment of African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), on Easter Sunday, of which Mandela was in the executive committee.
• In 1947, Mandela was appointed the position of a Secretary at the ANCYL. The organization was aimed at letting off of the old tactics of political petitioning and employing new 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
• Mandela was appointed as the national president of the ANCYL in 1950. In his new found position, Mandela continued his fight against racism. Other than this, he delved into a larger picture which meant working for national liberation.
• Two years henceforth, Mandela, profoundly influenced by Gandhi, set on the path of non-violent resistance. He formulated the Defiance Campaign against apartheid with Indian and communist groups. Starting with a group of merely 10,000 people, in no time the numbers expanded to reach 100,000.
• The government, in order to counterattack the campaign, permitted martial law and mass arrest. They even banned Transvaal ANU President J. B. Marks from making public appearances, a result of which was Mandela taking up the position as his successor.
• For his anti-apartheid movement, Mandela was arrested a couple of times. He was convicted of contravening suppression of communism for his Defiance Campaign and given a suspended prison sentence on July 30, 1952. Additionally, he was given a six-month ban from attending meeting or talking to more than one individual at a time.
• As a result of the ban, Mandela structured out M-Plan or Mandela Plan, which involved dividing the organisation into a cell structure with a more centralised leadership. The main aim of the plan was to enable the leading members of the ANC to maintain dynamic contact with its members without recourse to public meetings.
• Meanwhile, Mandela passed his qualification examination to become a full-fledged attorney. He started working for the firm Terblanche and Briggish, before opening his own law firm in collaboration with Oliver Tambo under the name, Mandela and Tambo. The firm was the only African-run law firm and often dealt with cases of police brutality.

Later Years

• In 1955, Mandela formed the Congress of the People, with active involvements from South African Indian Congress, the Coloured People’s Congress, the South African Congress of Trade Unions and the Congress of Democrats. The main aim of the move was to evoke South Africans and ask them to send in proposals for a post-apartheid era.
• Numerous proposals came in which were implemented upon to form the resultant, Freedom Charter. Created by Rusty Bernstein, the charter aimed at creating a democratic, non-racialist state with the nationalisation of major industry. A conference was called upon and attended by 3000 delegates. However, it did not turn out to be productive as police intervened.
• Despite being banned several times, which restricted him from public appearance; Mandela defied the same and often appeared in the public. Following this, on December 5, 1956, Mandela, along with other ANC activist were arrested on grounds of high treason against the state.
• Though they were bailed out a fortnight later, the legal proceedings began only on January 9, 1957 in which the judge resolved that there were sufficient reason to put the defendants on Trial. The trial which ended six years later, in 1961, proclaimed the innocence of the defendants and billed them as ‘not guilty’.
• Meanwhile, militant Africans formed a new group under the leadership of Robert Sobukwe, which was called the Pan-African Congress (PAC). The activity against the government caused mass arrest, including imprisonment of Mandela and other ANC and PAC leaders and banning of the two organizations.
• From 1961 until 1962, Mandela travelled throughout the country in a disguised avatar and spread the mass stay-at-home strike. He was also involved in organizing the ANC’s new cell structure – Umkhonto we Sizwe or ‘Spear of the Nation’, popularly known as MK.
• MK was the armed wing of ANC and was involved in channelling some violence against the government. The MK intended to exert maximum pressure on the government causing minimum civilian harm. As such, they mostly attacked the military installations, power plants, telephone lines and transport links at night.
• Mandela was chosen as a delegate of ANC to the February 1962 Pan-African Freedom Movement for East, Central and Southern Africa (PAFMECSA) meeting. The tour was a profitable one as Mandela was exposed to the political reforms of other countries and met prominent activists, reporters and politicians. Additionally, he also managed to collect some funds required for weaponry for MK.

Life Imprisonment

• Upon his return to South Africa, Mandela was arrested for illegal exit from the country and sentenced to five years of imprisonment. The imprisonment protracted to become life-imprisonment for Mandela as he was convicted for crimes that had occurred while he was spearheading the ANC struggle.
• He was sent to Robben Island Prison, a maximum security prison on a small island near Cape Town, where he spent nearly 18 years of his 27 years sentence. After this, he was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town and later to the Victor Verster Prison near Paarl from where he was eventually released.
• Though Mandela was offered freedom on a couple of occasions in exchange for compromising on his political position, he refused to accept the same. He stood by his opinion according to which personal freedom was of no use if the organization of the people remained banned.

Life Thereafter

• State president F.W. de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and announced the release of Nelson Mandela from the prison on February 2, 1990. His years at jail had not weakened the spirit of fighting in him, as Mandela declared his commitment to bring peace to the black majority and give them right to vote in elections.
• He returned to the leadership of ANCF and resumed office as the elected President of ANC, headquartered in Shell House. With his multi-party negotiation, he argued for the first multi-racial elections.
• Though the White South African’s were willing to share power, the black wanted complete control and transfer of power. Due to this, violent eruptions became common. However, Mandela worked to achieving a delicate balance of political pressure and intense negotiation amidst armed resistance.
• In 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections. The result of the election was in favour of Mandela who went on to become the country’s first Black President.
• As a President, Mandela worked day in and out to smoothen the transition of a minority black rule to a majority black rule. He ended the apartheid rule and established a new Constitution, according to which a strong central government based on majority rule was formed that guaranteed the rights of minorities and the freedom of expression.
• He introduced new reforms in economic policy to encourage land reform, combat poverty and expand healthcare services. On the international platform, Mandela served as the mediator for Libya and United Kingdom and oversaw military intervention in Lesotho
• After his successful first term, Mandela declined to contest for the second term and retired from active politics. However, he continued to remain active on the social front as he raised funds for building schools and healthcare centers in the rural parts of South Africa. He founded the Mandela Foundation and served as a mediator in the Burundi civil war.

Major Works

• Mandela was the founding member of the ANC Youth League. It was during his service at the ANCYL that he transformed the organization from its root level, trashing out all the old methods and employing fresh methods of boycotting, striking, civil disobedience and non-cooperation. His main aim was to kill racism, allow full citizenship to people, redistribute land, bestow trade union rights, and provide free and compulsory education for all children.
• He rose to prominence for his Defiance Campaign in 1952 and Congress of the People in 1955. The campaign involved non-violent action of defiance against South African government and its racist policy.
• He was the founder of the Umkhonto we Sizwe or ‘Spear of the Nation’, popularly known as MK. One of the cell of ANC, it was devoted to portraying violent action against the government.

Awards & Achievements

• Nelson Mandela is the proud recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, which he received along with de Klerk in 1993. He dedicated the award to Mahatma Gandhi, whom he was deeply influenced from.
• In 2009, The United Nations General Assembly declared Mandela’s birthday as ‘Mandela Day’, as an effort to pay tribute and homage to his great work in the anti-apartheid movement.
• Queen Elizabeth II decorated Mandela by bestowing upon him the Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St. John and the Order of Merit.
• Mandela became the only living person to be awarded with the honorary Canadian citizenship when he received the Order of Canada.

Personal Life & Legacy

• Nelson Mandela tied the knot thrice in his life. The first was to Evelyn Ntoko Mase in October 1944. 13 years of togetherness ended on a crashing note as evelyn charged Mandela on grounds of adultery and constant absences. The couple had four children, two sons and two daughters, out of which only two survive presently.
• In 1958, Mandela walked up to the aisle for the second time alongside Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. The couple was blessed with two daughters. The two separated in 1992 following which they finally divorced in 1996.
• In 1998, Mandela remarried Graca Machel (nee Simbine), widow of Samora Machel, on account of his 80th birthday.
• Ever since 2004, Mandela suffered from depreciating health condition, which worsened in 2011 when he was hospitalized due to respiratory illness. Mandela was hospitalized a number of times since then and he finally breathed his last on December 5, 2013.

Trivia

• Though he is popularly known as Nelson Mandela, his forename isn’t the same as his baptized name.
• He was the first elected President of South Africa. He was also the first black President of the country.
• In South Africa, he is known by the titles, ‘the father of the nation’, ‘the founding father of democracy’, ‘the national liberator, the saviour, its Washington and Lincoln rolled into one’.

Top 10 Facts You Did Not Know About Nelson Mandela

• Nelson Mandela was the first member of his family to attend school.
• He, along with Oliver Tambo, set up South Africa’s first law firm run by blacks in 1952.
• Nelson’s Mandela’s favourite dish was tripe—the stomach lining of farm animals.
• He was often referred to as “the Black Pimpernel” for his ability to disguise himself in order to evade arrest. He frequently adopted the disguises of a fieldworker, a chauffeur, or a chef.
• He was a great communicator and devised a way of passing secret notes to other prisoners while he was incarcerated on the infamous Robben Island.
• He believed that sports were great means of bringing the racially divided country together.
• A prehistoric woodpecker, Australopicus nelsonmandelai, is named after him.
• Mandela was once on the U.S. terror watch list because of his militant fight against apartheid.
• Nelson Mandela appeared in a cameo as a school teacher in the 1992 movie ‘Malcolm X’.
• Mandela was the recipient of more than 250 awards, including honorary degrees from more than 50 universities worldwide.

Adopted from: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nelson-mandela-59.php

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