A much respected person who recently died has touched many of our hearts. He was the one who put a stop to the Apartheid in South Africa. Who is that great person or legend? Nelson Mandela!
Coming from a humble background, Nelson Mandela studied hard to become a lawyer and fought hard to stop racism in South Africa. He did not think about the consequences he would face as a result of fighting for the freedom for the Blacks in South Africa. Instead, he cared about his country and the Blacks, who were treated unfairly. He served 27 years in prison, convicted of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government. Four years later after he was released from prison, he was elected president.
Below are the Key Dates from his biography, they excellently capture his life in a few important dates:
July 18, 1918: Born into Thembu royal family in Mvezo village in south-eastern South Africa.
1925: Begins school, where he is given the name Nelson by a teacher who insists on all pupils having a Christian Name.
1940: Expelled from Fort Hare University College for joining a student strike.
1942: Completes a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of South Africa.
1943: Joins the African National Congress (ANC); enrolls for a law degree at the University of Witwatersrand.
1944: Marries Evelyn Mase, a trainee nurse, with whom he has two sons and two daughters.
1948: National Party, dominated by white Dutch-descended Afrikaners, is elected to power and begins installing apartheid.
1952: Opens the first black law practice in Johannesburg.
1956: He is among 156 political activists arrested and charged with treason. All are later acquitted.
1958: Divorces his first wife and marries social worker Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela, with whom he has two daughters.
1960: Detained following the banning of the ANC and the imposition of a state of emergency.
1961: Goes underground, helps co-found the ANC’s military wing and is appointed its commander-in-chef.
1962: Leaves the country for military training and is arrested upon his return. Is sentenced to five years.
1963: Charged with sabotage.
1964: After a famous speech from the dock where he declares that he is “prepared to die” for a democratic South Africa, he is sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to notorious Robben Island
1982: Rejects government offer of release if he renounces violence. Undergoes prostate surgery.
1985: Rejects another release offer. In a fiery refusal, read by his daughter Zindzi at a rally, he says the burden is on the government to renounce violence, end apartheid and negotiate.
1989: Meets then President P.W. Botha and then, Mr F.W. de Klerk, who later becomes Mr Botha’s successor.
Feb 11 1990: Released from prison.
1991: Elected ANC president
1992: Separates from Winnie
1993: Wins Nobel Peace Prize with Mr de Klerk
April 27, 1994: Votes for the first time in his life in the country’s first all-race elections.
May 10, 1994: Inaugurated as President
1998: Marries Ms Graca Machel, widow of Mozambican President Samora Machel.
1999: Steps down as president after one term.
2004: Announces his retirement from public life.
2009: Makes his final political address in a recorded message at an ANC election rally
2010: Makes rare public appearance at the final of the soccer World Cup, staged in Africa for the first time
December 2012: Spends nearly three weeks in hospital, where he is treated for a lung infection and has a procedure to remove gallstones.
June 8, 2013: Admitted to hospital with a recurring lung infection
Sept 1: Discharged and moved to his Johannesburg home.
Dec 5: Dies at age 95.
(Adapted from his biography)
He definitely serves as a good example and a role model for all of us. Despite several failed attempts to stop the apartheid in South Africa, he did not give up as he was so focused in what he wanted to achieve. Even though he is not here with us now, he will be always be remembered as a legend.
There are many exemplary people who stepped to this earth, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and many others. All these “heroes” had one thing in common. They are had compassion towards others, and wanted a positive change to the world. We should be always be thankful to these people.
“He achieved more than could be expected of any man. Today, he has gone home, and we have lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth.” – US President Barack Obama.
RIP Mr Nelson Mandela.
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