Nelson Mandela

📷 Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 2.0 — Kingkongphoto & www — 1994

1918 — 2013

Afrique du Sud

PoliticsPolitiqueRévolutionnaire20th Century20th–21st centuries (1918–2013)

Décolonisation Droits de l'Homme Abolition de l'esclavage

South African political leader (1918–2013), founding figure of the struggle against apartheid and first Black president of South Africa. Imprisoned for 27 years for his revolutionary activities, he became a symbol of reconciliation and democratic transition in his country.

Famous Quotes

« I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else's freedom »

« Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world »

« I am the master of my fate »

Key Facts

1944: Joined the ANC (African National Congress)
1962–1990: Imprisoned on Robben Island for 27 years and 5 months
1990: Released from prison and began negotiations to end apartheid
1994: Elected as South Africa's first Black president
1995: Truth and Reconciliation Commission established to address the wounds of the apartheid regime

Works & Achievements

Long Walk to Freedom (1994)

Mandela's autobiography tracing his childhood, his struggle against apartheid, and his 27 years of imprisonment. Translated into dozens of languages, this book became one of the major political testimonies of the 20th century.

Founding of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) (1961)

Mandela co-founded the armed wing of the ANC after the banning of peaceful demonstrations, a decisive turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle. The organisation carried out sabotage operations against the regime's infrastructure, initially without targeting civilian casualties.

Presidency of South Africa (1994-1999)

Mandela was the first Black president of South Africa, elected in the country's first multiracial elections. His term was marked by the drafting of a new constitution, the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and a policy of national reconciliation.

Freedom Charter (contribution to drafting) (1955)

This document drawn up at the Congress of the People in Kliptown laid the foundations for a democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. It inspired the post-apartheid constitution of 1996.

Nelson Mandela Foundation (1999)

After his presidency, Mandela established this foundation dedicated to promoting democracy, education, and the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. It carries forward his legacy and his commitment to social justice around the world.

Rivonia Trial Speech (1964)

This speech delivered before the court, in which Mandela declared he was prepared to die for his ideals, is considered one of the most powerful political texts of the 20th century. It was broadcast around the world and strengthened the international movement against apartheid.

Anecdotes

At the time of his arrest in 1962, Nelson Mandela was traveling disguised as a chauffeur under the name 'David Motsamayi'. The CIA allegedly passed information to the South African police that led to his capture, though this was never officially proven. He was sentenced to five years in prison before being retried in the Rivonia Trial.

During his 27 years of detention on Robben Island, Mandela tended a small garden in the prison courtyard. He wrote that this garden taught him patience: 'A garden was one of the few places in prison where one could exercise a measure of control over one's environment.' The tomatoes and vegetables he grew also allowed him to share food with his fellow prisoners.

On February 11, 1990, the day of his release, Mandela walked out of Victor Verster Prison holding his wife Winnie's hand, his left fist raised. Millions of people around the world watched the scene live on television. He was 71 years old and had not seen Johannesburg in nearly three decades.

In 1995, Mandela, now president, attended the Rugby World Cup final wearing the Springboks jersey — the South African national team long regarded as a symbol of the white minority. By handing the trophy to captain François Pienaar, an Afrikaner, in front of 63,000 spectators, he transformed a sporting gesture into a political act of national reconciliation.

In 1985, Nelson Mandela refused a conditional release offer proposed by President Botha, who required in exchange that he publicly renounce the armed struggle. His daughter Zindzi read his response before a massive crowd in Soweto: 'Your freedom and mine cannot be separated.' This refusal considerably strengthened his moral authority throughout the world.

Primary Sources

Long Walk to Freedom (1994)

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.

Statement at the Rivonia Trial (April 20, 1964)

I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to see realised. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

Release Speech, Cape Town (Grand Parade Hotel) (February 11, 1990)

Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated by the challenges that remain. I have cherished the dream of a free, democratic and non-racial South Africa. I still cherish that dream.

Presidential Inauguration Speech, Pretoria (May 10, 1994)

We have entered into a covenant with all the peoples of South Africa in the common interest of ensuring that our country takes its rightful place among the nations of the world. Never, never and never again shall this beautiful land experience the oppression of one by another.

Letter to Winnie Mandela from Robben Island (February 1, 1975)

There is something deeply satisfying about being able to hold firm and knowing that one is fighting for a just principle, that one is not compromising one's conscience.

Key Places

Robben Island, South Africa

Prison island in Table Bay where Mandela was incarcerated for 18 of the 27 years of his detention. It became a museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, and stands as a symbol of both the brutality of apartheid and the resistance of its victims.

Soweto (South Western Townships), Johannesburg

Black township of Johannesburg where Mandela and his family lived and where he developed his political consciousness. Soweto was also the scene of the 1976 uprising, a major turning point in the struggle against apartheid.

Qunu, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Mandela's birth village where he spent his childhood and where he was buried on December 15, 2013, according to Xhosa traditions. This place represents his cultural roots and his attachment to the African land.

Pretoria, South Africa (Union Buildings)

Seat of the South African government where Mandela was sworn in as South Africa's first Black president on May 10, 1994. This historic ceremony was attended by dozens of heads of state from around the world.

Victor Verster Prison (now Drakenstein Correctional Centre), Paarl

The last prison where Mandela was held, in the Cape region; it was through its gates that he walked free on February 11, 1990, before the cameras of the entire world. A statue today commemorates this historic moment.

Johannesburg (city centre and Mandela & Tambo law office)

The city where Mandela settled as a law student and co-founded with Oliver Tambo the first Black law firm in South Africa in 1952. This city was the centre of his political activism throughout the 1950s.