Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela – the voice of blacks against the so called supremacy of whites — was born into a tribal clan in a small village in South Africa’s Eastern Cape in 1918. He was later given his English name, Nelson, by a teacher at his school. In his fight for freedom against colonialists, he spent 30 years of his life imprisoned – 1953-55 and in Robben Island from 1962-90. In his autobiography Long March to Freedom he writes that he was allowed to see his wife and daughter after 21 years. This is besides the captivity period when Mandela, along with 155 other political activists, was accused of conspiracy and was charged with high treason (the charges were dropped after a long trial.)
In the absence of Mandela, his wife Marries Winnie Madikizela spearheads the campaign facing police, army and even some of the masses. She too was imprisoned for two years in 1969.
Mandela was elected president of South Africa. The Freedom Charter has been adopted in the South Africa calling for black population’s equal rights and equal share of wealth with the country’s white population. In 1993 Mandela (along with de Klerk) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. Universities of the world have conferred honorary degrees upon him. He has been privileged in so many different ways on the monumental plaques and even naming a scientific invention after him. About four hundred books in various languages of the world have been written on him. He has secured a permanent niche in the annals of history. He was basically an advocate
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