Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela belonged to the royal house of Transkei. He was born on July 18, 1918, in the outskirts of Umtata, South Africa. When he was twelve years old, his father passed away, and his education was taken over by the senior chief. At sixteen, he entered Fort Hare University College and later moved to Johannesburg. He took correspondence courses to obtain a degree in literature and enrolled in the law school at the University of the Witwatersrand. Later, he worked as a clerk in a white law firm, waiting to open his own law office in partnership with Oliver Tambo. He became a member of the ANC in 1944. He moved to Johannesburg because his parents wanted to arrange a marriage for him, which he did not want. For 20 years, he led the major campaign against the racist policies of the South African government. He was the first democratically elected black president of South Africa. Before being elected president, he was one of the leaders of the anti-Apartheid movement and an active member of the African National Congress (ANC). He was imprisoned for 27 years by the white regime. Nelson Mandela was released in February 1990, after President Frederik de Klerk recognized the African National Congress and suspended executions. Nelson Mandela immediately urged foreign powers not to reduce the pressure they were exerting on the South African government for constitutional reform. His release in 1990 marked the beginning of fundamental changes in the African state, leading to the fall of its racist regime. He became the first president of the African people in 1994. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with Frederik de Klerk. He lost one son to AIDS and another in a car accident in 1969 (his great-granddaughter also died in a car accident in 2010). Since then, Nelson Mandela became highly active in the fight against AIDS, participating in awareness campaigns and initiatives. He passed away on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95, after a long hospitalization due to respiratory problems and infections.