Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, (born July 18, 1918), was the first democratically elected President of South Africa, having previously been a prominent anti-apartheid activist there. Initially committed to non-violence, he later became involved in the planning of underground armed resistance activities, such as sabotage. Mandela's 27-year imprisonment, much of which he spent in a tiny prison cell on Robben Island, became one of the most widely publicised examples of apartheid's injustices. Upon his release in 1990, the policy of reconciliation he pursued enabled a peaceful transition to a new, democratic South Africa - an enormous achievement which many South Africans believe would have been impossible without his influence.

Early life

Nelson Mandela was born to a Thembu Xhosa family on July 18, 1918 in the village of Qunu, situated on the banks of the Mbashe River in the Transkei. He then moved to Tembu where he lived until he was nine years old. His father was Hendry Mphakanyiswa Gadla, chief of Tembu. At the age of seven, Rolihlahla Mandela became the first member of his family to attend school, where he was given the name "Nelson" by a Methodist teacher. His father died when he was ten, and Nelson attended a Wesleyan mission school next door to the palace of the Regent. Following Xhosa custom, he was initiated at age sixteen, and attended Clarkebury Boarding Institute, learning about Western culture. He completed his Junior Certificate in two years, instead of the usual three.

Related Topics:
Thembu - Xhosa - Mbashe River - Transkei - Methodist - Initiated - Western culture

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At age sixteen, in 1934, Mandela moved to the Wesleyan College in Fort Beaufort, which most Thembu royalty attended, and took an interest in boxing and running. After matriculating, he started with his B.A. at the Fort Hare University, where he met Oliver Tambo, and the two became lifelong friends and colleagues.

Related Topics:
1934 - Matriculating - B.A. - Fort Hare University - Oliver Tambo

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At the end of his first year, he became involved in a boycott of the Students' Representative Council against the university policies, and was asked to leave Fort Hare. He left for Johannesburg, where he completed his degree at the University of South Africa (UNISA) via correspondence, after which he started with his law studies at the University of Witwatersrand.

Related Topics:
Johannesburg - University of South Africa - The University of Witwatersrand

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