Nelson Mandela
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"Mandela" redirects here. For other uses, see Mandela (disambiguation).
| His Excellency Nelson Mandela OMP BR OM AC CC OJ GCStJ QC GCH PMF | |
|---|---|
| Mandela in Johannesburg, on 13 May 2008 | |
| 1st President of South Africa | |
| In office 10 May 1994 – 14 June 1999 | |
| Deputy | Thabo Mbeki F. W. de Klerk |
| Preceded by | F. W. de Klerk As State President |
| Succeeded by | Thabo Mbeki |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rolihlahla Mandela 18 July 1918 Mvezo, Cape Province, South Africa |
| Died | 5 December 2013 (aged 95) Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Resting place | Mandela Graveyard Qunu, Eastern Cape 31°48′21.8″S 28°36′52.7″E / 31.806056°S 28.614639°E |
| Nationality | South African |
| Political party | African National Congress |
| Other political affiliations | South African Communist Party |
| Spouse(s) | Evelyn Ntoko Mase (m. 1944–1957; divorced) Winnie Madikizela (m. 1958–1996; divorced) Graça Machel (m. 1998–2013; his death) |
| Children |
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| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | |
| Religion | Methodist[1][2][3] |
| Known for | Anti-Apartheid Movement |
| Awards |
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| Notable work(s) | Long Walk to Freedom |
| Signature |  |
| Website | www |
| Nickname(s) | Madiba Tata Dalibhunga (initiation name)[4] |
A Xhosa born to the Thembu royal family, Mandela attended the Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand, where he studied law. Living in Johannesburg, he became involved in anti-colonial politics, joining the ANC and becoming a founding member of its Youth League. After the Afrikaner minority government of the National Party established apartheid in 1948, he rose to prominence in the ANC's 1952 Defiance Campaign, was appointed superintendent of the organisation's Transvaal chapter and presided over the 1955 Congress of the People. Working as a lawyer, he was repeatedly arrested for seditious activities and, with the ANC leadership, was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the Treason Trial from 1956 to 1961. Influenced by Marxism, he secretly joined the South African Communist Party (SACP) and sat on its Central Committee. Although initially committed to non-violent protest, in association with the SACP he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in 1961, leading a sabotage campaign against the apartheid government. In 1962, he was arrested, convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the state, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial.
Mandela served 27 years in prison, initially on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. An international campaign lobbied for his release, which was granted in 1990 amid escalating civil strife. Mandela joined negotiations with Nationalist President F. W. de Klerk to abolish apartheid and establish multiracial elections in 1994, in which he led the ANC to victory and became South Africa's first black president. He published his autobiography in 1995. During his tenure in the Government of National Unity he invited other political parties to join the cabinet, and promulgated a new constitution. He also created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses. While continuing the former government's liberal economic policy, his administration also introduced measures to encourage land reform, combat poverty, and expand healthcare services. Internationally, he acted as mediator between Libya and the United Kingdom in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, and oversaw military intervention in Lesotho. He declined to run for a second term, and was succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki. Mandela became an elder statesman, focusing on charitable work in combating poverty and HIV/AIDS through the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Mandela was a controversial figure for much of his life. Denounced as a communist terrorist by critics,[6][7] he nevertheless gained international acclaim for his activism, having received more than 250 honours, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Soviet Order of Lenin. He is held in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name, Madiba, or as Tata ("Father"); he is often described as the "Father of the Nation".
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