Biography of Nelson Mandela

Biography Of
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela, in full Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, byname Madiba, (born July 18, 1918,
Mvezo, South Africa—died December 5, 2013, Johannesburg), His mother was Nonqaphi
Nosekeni and his father was Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela, principal counsellor to
the Acting King of the Thembu people, Jongintaba Dalindyebo.
In 1930, when he was 12 years old, his father died and the young Rolihlahla became a
ward of Jongintaba at the Great Place in Mqhekezweni. Hearing the elders’ stories of his
ancestors’ valour during the wars of resistance, he dreamed also of making his own
contribution to the freedom struggle of his people. Hearing the elders’ stories of his
ancestors’ valour during the wars of resistance, he dreamed also of making his own
contribution to the freedom struggle of his people.
From: https://cdn.britannica.com
He began studying for an LLB at the University of the Witwatersrand. By his own admission he was a poor student and
left the university in 1952 without graduating. He only started studying again through the University of London after his
imprisonment in 1962 but also did not complete that degree.
In 1944 he married Walter Sisulu’s cousin, Evelyn Mase, a nurse. They had two sons, Madiba Thembekile "Thembi" and
Makgatho, and two daughters both called Makaziwe, the first of whom died in infancy. He and his wife divorced in 1958.
On 11 January 1962, using the adopted name David Motsamayi, Mandela secretly left South Africa. He travelled around
Africa and visited England to gain support for the armed struggle. He received military training in Morocco and Ethiopia
and returned to South Africa in July 1962. He was arrested in a police roadblock outside Howick on 5 August while
returning from KwaZulu-Natal, where he had briefed ANC President Chief Albert Luthuli about his trip.
He was charged with leaving the country without a permit and inciting workers to strike. He was convicted and
sentenced to five years' imprisonment, which he began serving at the Pretoria Local Prison. On 27 May 1963 he was
transferred to Robben Island and returned to Pretoria on 12 June. Within a month police raided Liliesleaf, a secret
hideout in Rivonia, Johannesburg, used by ANC and Communist Party activists, and several of his comrades were
arrested. On 9 October 1963 Mandela joined 10 others on trial for sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial.
While facing the death penalty his words to the court at the end of his famous "Speech from the Dock" on 20 April 1964
became immortalised:
“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.”
Mandela’s mother died in 1968 and his eldest son, Thembi, in 1969. He was not allowed to attend their funerals.
On 12 August 1988 he was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. After more than three months in
two hospitals he was transferred on 7 December 1988 to a house at Victor Verster Prison near Paarl where he spent his
last 14 months of imprisonment. He was released from its gates on Sunday 11 February 1990, nine days after the
unbanning of the ANC and the PAC and nearly four months after the release of his remaining Rivonia comrades.
Throughout his imprisonment he had rejected at least three conditional offers of release.
From: https://www.nelsonmandela.org/,
https://en.wikipedia.org/
On 10 May 1994 he was inaugurated as South Africa’s first democratically elected President. On his 80th birthday in
1998 he married Graça Machel, his third wife.
True to his promise, Mandela stepped down in 1999 after one term as President. He continued to work with the Nelson
Mandela Children’s Fund he set up in 1995 and established the Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Mandela Rhodes
Foundation.
"It is in your hands" – Mandela Day quote

In April 2007 his grandson, Mandla Mandela, was installed as head of the Mvezo Traditional Council at a ceremony at
the Mvezo Great Place.
Nelson Mandela never wavered in his devotion to democracy, equality and learning. Despite terrible provocation, he
never answered racism with racism. His life is an inspiration to all who are oppressed and deprived; and to all who are
opposed to oppression and deprivation.
He died at his home in Johannesburg on 5 December 2013.
Nelson Mandela’s writings
included I Am Prepared to Die (1964; rev. ed. 1986); No Easy Walk to Freedom (1965; updated ed. 2002); The Struggle
Is My Life (1978; rev. ed. 1990); In His Own Words (2003); and Long Walk to Freedom (1994), which chronicles his early
life and years in prison. Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years (2017), released posthumously, is the unfinished draft of
his second volume of memoirs; it was completed by Mandla Langa.
Nelson Mandela’s List of awards:
This is a comprehensive list of awards, honours and other recognitions bestowed on Nelson Mandela. Mandela received
more than 260 awards over 40 years, most notably the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993
Included Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize (1991), Isitwalandwe/Seaparankoe medal (1992), Prince of Asturias Award for
international cooperation (1992), Liberty Medal (1993), Gandhi–King Award (1999), Ambassador of Conscience Award
(2006), Arthur Ashe Courage Award (2009)
So this is Nelson Mandela, and even now he is
known for several things, but perhaps he is best known for successfully leading the resistance to South Africa’s
policy of apartheid in the 20th century, during which he was infamously incarcerated at Robben Island Prison
(1964–82). He won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993, along with South Africa’s president at the time, F.W. de
Klerk, for having led the transition from apartheid to a multiracial democracy. Mandela is also known for being
the first black president of South Africa, serving from 1994 to 1999.
Info.From:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
From: https://assets.ltkcontent.com/images
https://www.britannica.com/
From: https://assets.weforum.org/editor/

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Biography Of

"It is in your hands" – Mandela Day quote

He died at his home in Johannesburg on 5 December 2013.

Nelson Mandela’s writings

Nelson Mandela’s List of awards:

So this is Nelson Mandela, and even now he is

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