Nelson Mandela

Rolihlahla Mandela was born in the Madiba clan, in the village of Mvezo, in the Eastern Cape, on July 18, 1918. His mother was Nonqaphi Nosekeni and his father Nkosi Mandela, principal adviser to the interim paramount chief of the Thembu people, Jongintaba Dalindyebo. In 1930, when he was 12 years old, his father passed away and young Rolihlahla became a ward of Jongintaba at the Great Place of Mqhekezweni.

Listening to the stories of the elders about the bravery of his ancestors during the wars of resistance, he also dreamed of making his own contribution to the struggle for his people's freedom.

Later, he came into contact with the African National Congress (ANC). In late 1941, Jongintaba would visit him and forgive him for having fled.

When he began his law studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Mandela was the only Black student, and although he suffered from racial discrimination, he managed to befriend many European liberals and communists, as well as Jews and Indians, such as Joe Slovo, Harry Schwarz, and Ruth First.

Having graduated in law in 1942 from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, he joined the ANC, which at that time was a small, moderate political party of the Black bourgeoisie.

Nelson Mandela never wavered in his dedication to democracy, equality, and learning; he never answered racism with racism. His life is an inspiration to all those who are oppressed and to all those who oppose oppression and deprivation. He passed away at his home in Johannesburg on December 5, 2013.

"The brave man is not he who does not feel fear, but he who conquers that fear."

Written Works

How Far the Slaves Have Come! (1991). Long Walk to Freedom (1994). Let Freedom Reign: The Words of Nelson Mandela (2005). The African Tales of Nelson Mandela (2002). Conversations with Myself (2010). Nelson Mandela Alone (2012).

To Discover During a Trip to South Africa

• the famous prison on Robben Island, off the coast of Cape Town, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many years
• the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg
• the township of Soweto, also in Johannesburg, where Nelson Mandela's former residence is located, now a museum