Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela biography

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in July 1918 in Umtata, South Africa. Mandela was raised in his mother's village, Qunu, alongside his two sisters. At seven, Mandela started to attend a Methodist school. At school, Mandela was given the name 'Nelson' by his teacher. Reflecting on this, in 'Part One: A Country Childhood' of his 1994 autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela wrote

At nine, Mandela moved to Mqhekezweni, where he lived at the 'Great Place' Palace, under the guardianship of Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo and his wife Noengland. Christianity became further entrenched in Mandela's life during this time, he attended Church each Sunday and studied at a Methodist mission school. In his autobiography, Mandela notes how, when growing up, he perceived the Europeans who set up his school, and colonised South Africa, as benefactors rather than the oppressors.

In 1933, Mandela began studying at the Clarkebury Methodist High School, where he completed his Junior Certificate after just two years of studying. From here, Mandela studied at Healdtown, a Methodist college in Fort Beaufort, before attending the University of Fort Hare. Although the institutions Mandela attended promoted European culture and people as 'superior', Mandela fostered an interest in African culture and history. Mandela never graduated from the University of Fort Hare, as towards the end of his first year of studies he was suspended for his involvement in a students' representative council protest against the bad quality of food served by the school.

In 1941, Mandela moved to Johannesburg, where he worked as a night watchman and later as an articled clerk at Witkin Sidelsky and Eidelman. Mandela soon became involved in politics, befriending Walter Sisulu, an African National Congress (ANC) activist, Gaur Radebe, a member of the ANC and the Communist Party, and Nat Bregman, another communist. During this time, Mandela completed a correspondence court at the University of South Africa.

After passing his Bachelor of Art exams in 1943, Mandela continued his studies at the University of Witwatersrand. However, he was denied his degree in December 1949 after failing his final year three times. Despite not graduating from Witwatersrand, while studying there, Mandela entered the world of political activism.

Fig. 1 - Statue of Nelson Mandela in Cape Town, South Africa.

Nelson Mandela: political background

In 1944, Mandela joined the ANC, and in 1947 he was elected as a member of the ANC's Transvaal Province branch's executive committee. In 1948, following South Africa's general election, in which only white people could vote, Mandela joined the ANC's movement to end the apartheid policies of the ruling National Party.

Upon coming to power, the National Party continued to maintain and expand racial segregation, codifying the oppression of black people in South African law through apartheid legislation. Many people in the ANC, including Mandela, responded to this by pushing for direct action against the National Party's policies.

In March 1950, Mandela was elected as national president of the ANC Youth League, and joined the ANC national executive. Initially, Mandela opposed the multi-racial approach of the ANC, which would allow people of all backgrounds and colours to join their movement. Yet, after the 1951 ANC national conference, during which Mandela's anti-multi-racial arguments were voted against, he worked to understand and accept the importance of including people of all races, creeds, and colours in the ANC's work.

In July 1952, Mandela was arrested and found guilty of 'statutory communism' for his activism against apartheid. Mandela was put on two years probation, if he broke the law during that time he would face six months of hard labour. During this period, Mandela's public involvement with the ANC was limited.

Mandela was arrested under the accusation of 'high treason' against the state in 1956. He was released on bail and entered a lengthy trial period. In October 1958 the prosecution withdrew its charges, arguing instead that the ANC leadership had committed 'high treason'.

The ANC was banned in 1960, following an anti-pass campaign, in which demonstrators including Mandela burned the identification passes they had to legally carry. Mandela was arrested in March 1960 and was imprisoned for five months before being judged as 'not guilty' based on insufficient evidence.

In response to the ANC being banned, Mandela pushed for the formation of a military wing, which came to be known as the Umkhonto we Sizwe. In 1962, Mandela was arrested once again and was sentenced to five years of imprisonment and hard labour. In 1964, this sentence was increased to life imprisonment.

Nelson Mandela: prison

Mandela spent a total of 27 years in prison, following his 1962 sentence. During his imprisonment, Mandela smuggled letters out of prison in support of the anti-apartheid movement, and in 1976 his autobiography was taken out of the prison.

An international campaign to free Nelson Mandela, backed by the United Nations Security Council, began in 1980. However, the South African Government, backed by Ronald Regan and Margaret Thatcher, refused to do so. Following a period of unrest, in 1985 Mandela was offered a release from prison on the condition he rejected militant action as a form of political protest. Mandela rejected this offer stating;

Between 1982 and 1988 Mandela served 6 years at Pollsmoor Prison, before being placed under house arrest. In 1988, in honour of Mandela's 70th birthday, a tribute concert was held at Wembley Stadium, London. Mandela was at last released from prison under the order of F.W. de Klerk, who became president of South Africa in 1989, in 1990.

Nelson Mandela: release from prison

After being released from prison, Mandela worked to end apartheid. He pushed the international community to place and support sanctions against the apartheid government and entered preliminary negotiations in May 1990. In December 1991, the Convention for a Democratic South Africa took place, followed by a second conference in May 1992. Socio-political conflict continued in South Africa during this period of negotiations, marked by events such as the Bisho massacre and the storming of the Kempton Park World Trade Centre.

In 1993, de Klerk and Mandela were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and in 1994 the ANC won the general election under the slogan 'a better life for all'. Following the election victory, Mandela was formally elected as chief executive of South Africa. In December that same year, Mandela published his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, based on the same manuscript he had smuggled out of prison nearly twenty years earlier. During his time as President, Mandela established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995, which investigated apartheid human rights abuses, and oversaw the introduction and enactment of a democratic South African constitution. Mandela retired from political life, and stepped down as president, in 1999.

In 2004, Mandela re-entered the political world, founding the Nelson Mandela Legacy Trust in 2005, meeting with US p`resident George W. Bush, and pushing for Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe's resignation.

After suffering from a respiratory infection, which began in 2011, Mandela died on December 5th, 2013 at age 95.

Nelson Mandela: facts

Now that we've learned about Nelson Mandela's life, here are some interesting facts about him:

1. Nelson Mandela had royal heritage by birth, his great-grandfather on his father's side, Ngubengcuka, ruled the Thembu Kingdom.

2. Nelson is not Nelson Mandela's birth name. He was born as Rolihlahla, which means troublemaker.

3. In 1953 Nelson Mandela opened a law firm with Oliver Tambo called 'Mandela and Tambo'. At the time it was set up, 'Mandela and Tambo' was the only African-run law firm in South Africa.

4. In 2009, July 18th (Nelson Mandela's birthday) was proclaimed 'Nelson Mandela International Day' by the United Nations.

5. Later in life, Nelson Mandela became an advocate for those suffering from HIV/AIDS, a course promoted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Nelson Mandela: important works

Mandela became the face of the anti-apartheid movement through both his actions and words which spurred forward the movement. Today, he is remembered as a symbolic figure in the fight for equal rights, and his legacy is captured by his autobiography, letters, and speeches.

Nelson Mandela: books

Mandela's most famous book published during his lifetime is his 1994 autobiography Long Walk to Freedom. Following Mandela's death, a sequel to his autobiography, titled Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years, was published in 2017. This sequel focused on Mandela's work toward creating a multi-racial democracy after the end of apartheid, and was constructed by novelist Mandla Langa, from Mandela's unfinished draft and archive material.

Long Walk to Freedom (1994)

Long Walk to Freedom, recounts Mandela's journey to ending apartheid in South Africa, from his early childhood to his election as president in 1994. Mandela began writing his autobiography while incarcerated, and a miniature manuscript that formed the base for this work was smuggled out of prison by a newly released prisoner in 1976.

Mandela's work provides readers with an understanding of his life both as an individual and as a political figure. Key themes apparent in Mandela's biography are oppression and political activism. In a 2020 paper, Jiangping Zhou presented the argument that Mandela utilises a passive voice in his writing to encourage the reader to align with him in his fight for freedom.³

In 1995, the autobiography received the Alan Paton Award, and in 2013 a film adaptation starring Idris Elba as Mandela was released.

Nelson Mandela Speeches

During his time in prison, Mandela gained political fame from his speeches and letters. In 2018, 255 of Mandela's letters sent from prison were compiled in The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela. This collection of Mandela's letters provides a unique insight into his personal and political life while incarcerated.

Mandela's speeches have been published in many books, including The Penguin Book of Modern Speeches (1992), Conversations With Myself (2010), and Selected Speeches and Writings of Nelson Mandela (2010). Some of Mandela's most famous speeches include;

1. 'No Easy Walk to Freedom' (1953)
2. 'I Am Prepared to Die' (1964)
3. 'The Struggle is My Life' (1961)

Nelson Mandela quotes

Now that we know about Mandela's life and his key works, here are some of his famous quotes. When reading the quotes, consider what insight they provide into Mandela's own life and his fight against apartheid.

'No Easy Walk to Freedom' (1953)

Mandela's 'No Easy Walk to Freedom' speech was read on his behalf at the 1953 ANC national conference. It set out a contingency plan to be put in place if the ANC was banned by the South African Government.

In this quote, Mandela highlights the challenges ahead, for him and his fellow activists campaigning for the end of apartheid. It is clear from Mandela's language that he knows he, and others, will face many challenges before reaching 'the mountain tops of' their 'desires'.

'I Am Prepared to Die' (1964)

Mandela read his 'I Am Prepared to Die' speech at his 1964 trial, which led to him being sentenced to life in prison. Here, Mandela encapsulates his loyalty to the cause of ending apartheid. While he hopes to live and see a South Africa with a 'democratic and free society', he is willing and prepared to die for this cause if it means other black and mixed South Africans can be free of apartheid.

Long Walk to Freedom (1994), part eleven

Here, Mandela reflects on racism and its causes, highlighting how the hatred of another person for their identity, whether it be their 'skin', 'background' or 'religion', is something that is taught and learnt. To bring apartheid to an end, Mandela understood that he and others had to educate and communicate with Afrikaners.

Fig. 2 - Mural of Nelson Mandela in Northern Ireland.