Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, (born 18 July 1918) a former President of South Africa, was one of its chief anti-apartheid activists. He is now almost universally considered to be a heroic freedom fighter.
At the age of seven, he became the first member of his family to attend school, where he was given the English name ‘Nelson’ by a teacher. His father died when he was 10. He completed his Junior Certificate in two years, instead of the usual three.
At age 16, in 1934, Mandela moved to the Wesleyan College in Fort Beaufort, and took an interest in boxing and running. After matriculating, he began a B.A. at the Fort Hare University.
As a young student, Mandela became involved in political opposition to the white minority government’s denial of political, social, and economic rights to South Africa’s black majority. Joining the African National Congress in 1942, he founded its more dynamic Youth League two years later.
In 1961 he became the commander of the ANC’s armed wing. He coordinated a sabotage campaign against military, government and civilian targets and made plans for possible guerrilla war if sabotage failed to end apartheid.
On August 5, 1962 he was arrested after living on the run for months and was imprisoned in the Johanesburg Fort. Three days later the charges of leading workers to strike in 1961 and leaving the country illegally were read to him during a court appearance. On October 25, 1962, Mandela was sentenced to five years in prison. Two years later on June 11, 1964 a verdict had been reached concerning his previous engagement in the African National Congress.
While Mandela was in prison, police arrested prominent ANC leaders. All were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. Charges included involvement in planning armed action, in particular sabotage and a conspiracy to help other countries invade South Africa. Over the course of the next 26 years, Mandela became increasingly associated with opposition to apartheid to the point where the slogan ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ became the rallying cry for all anti-apartheid campaigners around the world.
Refusing an offer of conditional release in return for renouncing armed struggle, Mandela remained in prison until February 1990, when sustained ANC campaigning and international pressure led to his release on 11 February, on the orders of state president F.W. de Klerk and the ending of the ban on the ANC.
He and de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Mandela had already been awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1988. In 1979 he was awarded the Inter-national Prize for Harmony named before Jawahar Lal Nehru. On 19 October, 1990 he was awarded the Bharat Ratna.
As president of the ANC (July 1991-December 1997) he ran a largely ceremonial and uncompetitive campaign against de Klerk for the new office of President of South Africa. Mandela won, becoming the nation’s first black Head of State on May 10, 1994. De Klerk was appointed deputy president.
