Nelson Mandela: Biography, Essay, Article, Short Note, Story
Profile of Nelson Mandela
| 1st President of South Africa | |
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Born: July 18, 1918, Mvezo, South Africa
Died: December 5, 2013, Houghton Estate, City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa
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| Deputy | Thabo Mbeki F. W. de Klerk |
| Preceded by | F. W. de Klerk as State President |
| Succeeded by | Thabo Mbeki |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rolihlahla Mandela 18 July 1918 Mvezo, Cape Province, Union of South Africa |
| Died | 5 December 2013 (aged 95) Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Cause of death | Respiratory infection |
| Resting place | Mandela Graveyard Qunu, Eastern Cape |
| Political party | African National Congress |
| Other political affiliations |
South African Communist Party |
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| Children | 6 (including Makgatho, Makaziwe, Zenani and Zindziswa) |
| Parents | Nosekeni Fanny Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa |
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| Occupation |
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| Known for | Anti-Apartheid Movement |
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| Notable work(s) | Long Walk to Freedom |
| Website | www |
| Nickname(s) |
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Introduction (Essay on Nelson Mandela)
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela who is known as simply ‘Mandela’ was born on 18th July 1918 in the village Mvezo to the Thembu royal family. His father was Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Henry and his mother was Noqaphi Nosekeni. He belonged to the South Africa. He was a politician and philanthropist. He had been the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He also served the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.
Nelson Mandela’s Early Life (Story of Nelson Mandela)
Mandela started his education at a local Methodist school where his teacher gave him a forename ‘Nelson’. When he was just nine his father died of an undiagnosed ailment that is supposed to be a lung disease. After the death of the father, his mother took him the ‘Great Place’ palace and got disappeared. Their Jongintaba and his wife Noengland treated him as their own child along with their children. Later on, Mandela gained his education from the University of Fort Hare and the University of the Witwatersrand. Then he worked as a lawyer in Johannesburg.
Political Life of Nelson Mandela
In the words of Tom Lodge, “for Mandela, politics has always been primarily about enacting stories, about making narratives, primarily about morally exemplary conduct, and only secondarily about ideological vision, more about means rather than ends.” These words narrate the political perception of Nelson Mandela in themselves. Mandela was both African nationalist and socialist. He also used to take the political ideas from the Indian political leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Lal Nehru. At the same time, he led the movements and campaigns against the anti-white sentiment of many African nationalists. Mandela took part in the anti-colonial and African national politics. After the establishment of the racial segregation system ‘National Party’s White-only government’, Mandala bring him down with the other members of African National Congress (ANC).
He was also involved in Defiance Campaign in 1952 and the Congress of the people in 1955. After then he also led a campaign against the government that was named Sabotage. His activities were declared provocative and hence he was arrested and sentenced the life-imprisonment by the government several times and so he had been imprisoned for 27 years. In the middle of domestic and internal pressure, the president F.W. de Klerk released Mandela 1990 from the imprisonment. Then the president F.W. de Klerk and Mandela negotiated on some terms and they organized the multiracial general election in 1994 in which Nelson Mandela won and became the president of South Africa. After achieving the power of the president, Mandela first formed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the human right abuses happened in the past. He encouraged land reform, combat poverty and expanded the health care services. He also served the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999 as a Secretary-General.
Mandela just wanted to change the government system not by the violence but through the legal revolution. He adopted the non-violence approach to the negotiation and reconciliation.
Conclusion (Biography of Nelson Mandela)
Mandela was a reserved person who did not use to share their views and ideas easily. He was all over considered as ‘charismatic leader’. He always looked for the help of the people. He was typically friendly in nature but constantly polite and courteous. He was attentive to all the people, children or servants. By the time of death, Nelson Mandela was widely known as ‘the father of the nation, and ‘the founding father of democracy’. Once he said, “I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.” For his followers and the whole nation, Nelson Mandela is ever difficult to forget.