Nelson Mandela

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Nelson Mandela
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Nelson Mandela on the e.e of his /0th birthday in *ohannesburg in May 1002
Mandela in *ohannesburg, on 34 May 1002
3st President of ,outh )frica
5n office
30 May 3//6 7 36 *une 3///
8eputy !habo Mbeki
F. W. de 9lerk
Preceded by F. W. de 9lerk
)s ,tate President
,ucceeded by !habo Mbeki
Personal details
&orn 'olihlahla Mandela
32 *uly 3/32
M.e:o, "ape Pro.ince, ,outh )frica
8ied ; 8ecember 1034 (aged /;)
*ohannesburg, +auteng, ,outh )frica
'esting place Mandela +ra.eyard
-unu, $astern "ape
43<62=13.2>, 12<4?=;1.@>$
Nationality ,outh )frican
Political party )frican National "ongress
(ther political
affiliations ,outh )frican "ommunist Party
,pouse(s) $.elyn Ntoko Mase
(m. 3/6673/;@A di.orced)
Winnie Madiki:ela
(m. 3/;273//?A di.orced)
+raBa Machel
(m. 3//271034A his death)
"hildren
!hembekile Mandela
Maka:iCe Mandela
Makgatho Mandela
Maka:iCe Mandela
Denani Mandela
Dind:isCa Mandela
)lma mater
Eni.ersity of Fort #are
EoF $%ternal Programme
Eni.ersity of ,outh )frica
Eni.ersity of the WitCatersrand
(ccupation
)cti.ist
Politician
Philanthropist
FaCyer
'eligion MethodistG3HG1H
9noCn for )nti)partheid Mo.ement
)Cards
,akharo. Pri:e (3/22)
&harat 'atna (3//0)
Nobel Peace Pri:e (3//4)
(rder of Fenin
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Notable Cork(s) Fong Walk to Freedom
,ignature ,ignature of Nelson Mandela
WebsiteCCC.nelsonmandela.org
Nickname(s) Madiba
!ata
8alibhunga (initiation name)G4H
Nelson 'olihlahla Mandela (ImJn d lKIAG6H Lhosa pronunciationM G%o li a a man de laHA 32 *uly
3/32 7 ; 8ecember 1034) Cas a ,outh )frican antiapartheid re.olutionary, politician and
philanthropist Cho ser.ed as President of ,outh )frica from 3//6 to 3///. #e Cas ,outh )fricaNs
first black chief e%ecuti.e, and the first elected in a fully representati.e democratic election. #is
go.ernment focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised
racism, po.erty and ineOuality, and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically an )frican nationalist
and democratic socialist, he ser.ed as President of the )frican National "ongress ()N") from
3//3 to 3//@. 5nternationally, Mandela Cas ,ecretary +eneral of the Non)ligned Mo.ement from
3//2 to 3///.
) Lhosa born to the !hembu royal family, Mandela attended the Fort #are Eni.ersity and the
Eni.ersity of WitCatersrand, Chere he studied laC. Fi.ing in *ohannesburg, he became in.ol.ed
in anticolonial politics, Poining the )N" and becoming a founding member of its Qouth Feague.
)fter the ,outh )frican National Party came to poCer in 3/62, he rose to prominence in the )N"Ns
3/;1 8efiance "ampaign, Cas appointed superintendent of the organisationNs !rans.aal chapter
and presided o.er the 3/;; "ongress of the People. Working as a laCyer, he Cas repeatedly
arrested for seditious acti.ities and, Cith the )N" leadership, Cas unsuccessfully prosecuted in
the !reason !rial from 3/;? to 3/?3. 5nfluenced by Mar%ism, he secretly Poined the ,outh )frican
"ommunist Party (,)"P) and sat on its "entral "ommittee. )lthough initially committed to non
.iolent protest, in association Cith the ,)"P he cofounded the militant Emkhonto Ce ,i:Ce (M9)
in 3/?3, leading a sabotage campaign against the apartheid go.ernment. 5n 3/?1, he Cas
arrested, con.icted of conspiracy to o.erthroC the state, and sentenced to life imprisonment in
the 'i.onia !rial.
Mandela ser.ed 1@ years in prison, initially on 'obben 5sland, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and
Rictor Rerster Prison. )n international campaign lobbied for his release. #e Cas released in 3//0,
during a time of escalating ci.il strife. Mandela Poined negotiations Cith President F. W. de 9lerk to
abolish apartheid and establish multiracial elections in 3//6, in Chich he led the )N" to .ictory
and became ,outh )fricaNs first black president. #e published his autobiography in 3//;. 8uring
his tenure in the +o.ernment of National Enity he in.ited other political parties to Poin the cabinet,
and promulgated a neC constitution. #e also created the !ruth and 'econciliation "ommission to
in.estigate past human rights abuses. While continuing the former go.ernmentNs liberal economic
policy, his administration also introduced measures to encourage land reform, combat po.erty,
and e%pand healthcare ser.ices. 5nternationally, he acted as mediator betCeen Fibya and the
Enited 9ingdom in the Pan )m Flight 304 bombing trial, and o.ersaC military inter.ention in
Fesotho. #e declined to run for a second term, and Cas succeeded by his deputy, !habo Mbeki.
Mandela became an elder statesman, focusing on charitable Cork in combating po.erty and
#5RI)58, through the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Mandela Cas a contro.ersial figure for much of his life. 8enounced as a communist terrorist by
critics,G;HG?H he ne.ertheless gained international acclaim for his acti.ism, ha.ing recei.ed more
than 1;0 honours, including the 3//4 Nobel Peace Pri:e, the E, Presidential Medal of Freedom,
and the ,o.iet (rder of Fenin. #e is held in deep respect Cithin ,outh )frica, Chere he is often
referred to by his Lhosa clan name, Madiba, or as !ata ("Father")A he is often described as the
"Father of the Nation".