3. BIRTH DATE AND PLACE AND
FAMILY
NELSON ROLIHLAHLA MANDELA WAS
BORN IN TRANSKEI, SOUTH AFRICA ON
JULY 18, 1918. HIS FATHER WAS
HENDRY MPHAKANYISWA OF THE TEMBU
TRIBE
4. INTRODUCTION:
• NELSON ROHLILAL MANDELA WAS REVOLUTIONARY SOUTH AFRICAN LEADER WHO WAS
AGAINST APARTHEID
• HE WAS THE PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM 1994 TO 1999
• HE WAS THE FIRST BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN TO HOLD OFFICE, AND FIRST TO BE ELECTED
IN A FULLY REPRESENTATIVE, MULTIRACIAL ELECTION
• HIS GOVERNMENT FOCUSED ON ENDING THE RUTHLESS LEGACY OF APARTHEID
• HE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS FROM 1991 TO 19997 AND
WAS THESECRETARY GENERAL OOF NON-ALLIGNED MOVEMENT FROM1998 TO 1999
5. EDUCATION
MANDELA WAS EDUCATED AT UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF FORT HARE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF
WITWATERSRAND WHERE HE STUDIED LAW
6. JOINING OF ANC
HE JOINED THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS IN 1944
AND WAS ENGAGED IN RESISTANCE AGAINST THE
RULING NATIONAL PARTY'S APARTHEID POLICIES
AFTER 1948. HE WENT ON TRIAL FOR TREASON IN 19561961 AND WAS ACQUITTED IN 1961.
7. BANNING OF ANC
IN 1960, NELSON MANDELA ARGUED FOR THE SETTING UP OF
A MILITARY WING WITHIN THE ANC. IN JUNE 1961, THE ANC
EXECUTIVE CONSIDERED HIS PROPOSAL ON THE USE OF
VIOLENT TACTICS AND AGREED THAT THOSE MEMBERS WHO
WISHED TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN MANDELA'S CAMPAIGN
WOULD NOT BE STOPPED FROM DOING SO BY THE ANC.
8. FORMATION OF UMKHONTO
WE SIZWE
UMKHONTO WE SIZWE (ABBREVIATED AS MK,
TRANSLATED AS "SPEAR OF THE NATION") WAS THE
ARMED WING OF THE ANC CO-FOUNDED BY NELSON MANDELA,
WHICH FOUGHT AGAINST THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT. MK
LAUNCHED ITS FIRST GUERRILLA ATTACKS AGAINST
GOVERNMENT INSTALLATIONS ON 16 DECEMBER 1961. IT WAS
SUBSEQUENTLY CLASSIFIED AS A TERRORIST ORGANISATION BY
THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT AND THE UNITED STATES, AND
BANNED.
9. HIS ARREST IN 1962
MANDELA WAS ARRESTED IN 1962 AND SENTENCED TO FIVE
YEARS' IMPRISONMENT WITH HARD LABOUR. IN 1963, WHEN
MANY FELLOW LEADERS OF THE ANC AND THE UMKHONTO
WE SIZWE WERE ARRESTED, MANDELA WAS BROUGHT TO
STAND TRIAL WITH THEM FOR PLOTTING TO OVERTHROW THE
GOVERNMENT BY VIOLENCE. HIS STATEMENT FROM THE
DOCK RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE INTERNATIONAL PUBLICITY
10. HIS ARREST IN 1964
ON JUNE 12, 1964, EIGHT OF THE ACCUSED, INCLUDING
MANDELA, WERE SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT. FROM
1964 TO 1982, HE WAS INCARCERATED AT ROBBEN ISLAND
PRISON, OFF CAPE TOWN; THEREAFTER, HE WAS AT POLLSMOOR
PRISON, NEARBY ON THE MAINLAND.
11. HIS RELEASED IN 1990
NELSON MANDELA WAS RELEASED ON FEBRUARY 11, 1990.
AFTER HIS RELEASE, HE PLUNGED HIMSELF
WHOLEHEARTEDLY INTO HIS LIFE'S WORK, STRIVING TO
ATTAIN THE GOALS HE AND OTHERS HAD SET OUT ALMOST
FOUR DECADES EARLIER AND THAT WAS TOO END
APARTHEID AND DISCRIMINATION
12. AT THE CONFERENCE OF ANC
IN 1991, AT THE FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE ANC
HELD INSIDE SOUTH AFRICA AFTER THE ORGANIZATION HAD
BEEN BANNED IN 1960, MANDELA WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT
OF THE ANC WHILE HIS LIFELONG FRIEND AND
COLLEAGUE, OLIVER TAMBO, BECAME THE ORGANISATION'S
NATIONAL CHAIRPERSON.
13. YEAR 1993
HE WAS AWARDED THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE TOGETHER
WITH FW DE KLERK, THEN PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, IN
1993. THE FOLLOWING YEAR SOUTH AFRICA HELD ITS FIRST
MULTI-RACIAL ELECTION AND MANDELA WAS ELECTED ITS
FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT
14. THE END OF TERM IN OFFICE:
IN 1997 HE STEPPED DOWN AS ANC LEADER AND IN 1999 HIS
PRESIDENCY OF SOUTH AFRICA CAME TO AN END.
IN 2004, MANDELA ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT FROM
PUBLIC LIFE, ALTHOUGH HIS CHARITABLE WORK CONTINUED.
ON 29 AUGUST 2007, A PERMANENT STATUE TO HIM WAS
UNVEILED IN PARLIAMENT SQUARE, LONDON.
