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| Nelson Mandela biography |
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, born on July 18, 1918, in the royal Thembu family of Cape Province, South Africa, was a revolutionary leader who devoted his entire life to fighting against racial discrimination and injustice. Though he came from an affluent family, Mandela chose a life of struggle for the freedom and equality of his people. His teacher gave him the name “Nelson,” and after losing his father at the age of nine, he began to see the harsh realities of colonial rule. In 1939, he joined the University of Fort Hare for a Bachelor’s degree and later studied law at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he was the only Black student and first experienced racism.
Deeply moved by the inequality faced by Africans, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) and later helped form its Youth League, believing that the youth were vital to the freedom struggle. At a time when only white citizens could vote, Mandela organized strikes and boycotts against the government, drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence. Elected President of the ANC Youth League in 1950, he led several movements demanding equal rights, which led to his arrest multiple times. Even imprisonment could not silence his voice; Mandela refused conditional release offers and remained steadfast in his principles during 27 years in jail. Enduring inhumane conditions, he emerged as a symbol of hope and resistance for millions. Finally, in 1994, after decades of struggle, South Africa held its first democratic elections, and Mandela became the country’s first Black President at the age of 76. He dedicated his presidency to rebuilding the nation, promoting unity, and ending apartheid. In 1999, Mandela retired from politics and focused on social work until his passing on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95. Honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela is remembered as the Father of the Nation in South Africa and as one of the greatest leaders in the world who proved that forgiveness, equality, and peace are the true paths to freedom.