Nelson Mandela is a legendary politician, an implacable fighter against apartheid. All his life he fought for the Republic of South Africa to become a democratic country where all people, regardless of skin color, would have the same rights and freedoms. His biography is truly unique: he was able to come to power after a twenty-seven (!) Year in prison.
Mandela's early life and first marriage
Nelson Mandela was born in July 1918 in the South African village of Mwezo. His parents were from one of the most influential Kosa families, the Tembu family. When Nelson was nine, his father died, and the head of the Tembu clan Jongintaba Dalintiebo became the boy's guardian.
In 1939, Mandela became a student at Fort Hare University (a rare fortune for blacks in those years). But soon Mandela joined the student strike against the policy of the university leadership, and was expelled.
After that, Jongintaba wanted to forcefully marry Mandela, which was not part of the young man's plans. Mandela fled to Johannesburg and took a job first as a security guard at a mine and then as a clerk for a legal services company.
But eventually, relations between Nelson and Jongintaba were restored. And Mandela nevertheless entered into in 1944, in accordance with the wishes of the guardian, marriage with Evelyn Makaziva (by the way, it lasted until 1958). It is important that Jongintaba, after the wedding, again began to supply Mandela with finances, thanks to which he was able to continue his education and become a bachelor's degree at the University of South Africa.
The beginning of a political career and the first arrest
In 1943, Mandela became actively involved in politics and became a member of the ANC - African National Congress. But working on the sidelines in the Congress did not suit him, and he, with a group of like-minded people, founded the ANC Youth League, which, on the whole, took a more intransigent position in relation to the current authorities. It should be noted, however, that Mandela at this time was an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi and adhered to the tactics of non-violent resistance.
In the 1948 elections, the National Party celebrated the victory. After that, in fact, the apartheid regime was established in South Africa (that is, severe discrimination and segregation of the black population). Mandela, in turn, became the leader of the Youth League in 1950. Two years later, in 1952, together with a colleague, he created a company where legal aid was provided to blacks free of charge.
In 1956, Mandela was first arrested on treason charges. However, at the trial, which lasted several years (until 1961), he and the people accused along with him were acquitted.
Mandela's second arrest and long prison sentence
In 1960, Mandela was proclaimed the leader of the ANC. And the very next year he decided to create a combat structure "Umkonto we Sizwe" for the partisan struggle against apartheid. That is, in fact, Mandela moved away from the philosophy of non-violence. The consequences were not long in coming: soon Nelson (at that time he was forced to conspire and hide under a false name) was detained a second time. He was charged with very grave charges and sentenced to the death penalty.
In 1964, the execution was changed to life imprisonment. To serve this sentence, he was sent to a solitary cell in a grim prison on tiny Robben Island. According to the rules, Mandela was allowed only once every six months to call or send a letter to freedom. Nevertheless, thanks to the support of supporters, it was during this period that his popularity grew many times over (and not only in South Africa, but throughout the planet).
In 1989, President Frederick de Klerk took over the leadership of South Africa. And a year later, under public pressure, he signed a decree on the release of the famous prisoner. Mandela's incredibly long imprisonment has come to an end.
Mandela during and after the presidency
In the 1994 elections, Mandela won and, accordingly, became president himself.
He ruled the country for four years, and during this period many really significant transformations were carried out here. For example, health care for young children was introduced at public expense, a law was passed that guaranteed equality in employment, a land reform was carried out, and so on.
In 1998, Nelson Mandela married again - to Grace Machel, a fairly well-known woman in African politics. Interestingly, before that, Graça was also the wife of the President of Mozambique (until he died in a car accident in 1986).
In the same 1998, Mandela resigned from the presidency. But his further activities were quite noticeable. So, for example, he seriously dealt with the problem of the spread of HIV in Africa.
In the summer of 2013, Mandela's old pulmonary disease worsened and he was admitted to the hospital. A few months later, in early December, the big politician, alas, died. A ten-day mourning period was declared in the Republic on this occasion.
