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Nelson Mandela personifies struggle. He is still leading the fight against apartheid's consequences with extraordinary vigour and resilience after spending nearly three decades of his life behind bars. He has sacrificed his private life and his youth for his people, and remains South Africa 's best known and loved hero.
Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela was born in Mvezo near Mthatha in the Transkei, Eastern Cape on the 18 July 1918. After his father's death he was to be groomed for assuming his father duties as the Chief of the Thembus. He dreamed of becoming a lawyer.
After completing his primary education he was sent to Healdtown to pursue his secondary school and where he got his matric. He then enrolled at the University College for a Bachelor of Arts Degree. At the College he was elected onto the Student Representative Council and because of engaging himself in a boycott he was expelled.
He then proceeded to Johannesburg where he worked as a clerk and then commenced his LLB studies. In 1942 he joined the African National Congress. In 1944 the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) was founded. He soon impressed his peers by his ideas and was elected the president of the ANCYL in 1947.
The aims of the ANCYL were to obtain full citizenship, parliamentary representation of all South Africans, redistribution of land, education and culture. It also preached free education for all children.
In 1952 when the ANC launched its Campaign of Defiance of unjust
laws he became the volunteer in chief. He travelled the country
organizing protests against discriminatory legislation. He was then
convicted and given a suspended prison sentence. He was prohibited
from organising or attending gatherings and was confined to Johannesburg
for six months.
After being admitted as an attorney, he opened a practice in Johannesburg
in partnership with Oliver Tambo. In 1952 he was given a mandate
to prepare an organizational plan for the ANC. It was called the
M- Plan named after him. He also played a big role in popularising
the Freedom Charter.
In the late fifties he turned his attention to the struggle against the exploitation of labour and the segregation of open universities.
He was forced to live apart from his family, moving from place to place and had to adopt a number of disguises.
In 1961, Umkhonto We Sizwe, the military wing of the ANC was formed and Mandela became the commander. He left the country and travelled abroad unlawfully.
Upon returning, Mandela was caught, convicted and sentenced to imprisonment. While serving his sentence he is charged in the Rivonia Trial.
Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment and spent his early prison years on Robben maximum prison in Cape Town. In 1984 he was moved to Pollsmoor Prison and in December 1988 he was moved to Victor Verster Prison from where he was eventually released on 11 February 1990.
Mandela never wavered in his devotion to democracy, equality and learning. After his release he became the first black South African President.
He won the 1993 Nobel peace prize (with FW de Klerk) on behalf
of all South Africans and handed over the presidency to Thabo Mbeki
in 1998.
Since then he has devoted his time to raising funds for his Children's Foundation and has led the fight against HIV/AIDS.
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