On July 18, 1918 Nonqaphi Mandela gave birth to Buti (later changed to Nelson) Rolihlhlha Mandela.Once Buti started attending the missionary school nearby, the teachers told him that his name was to hard to pronounce, so they changed Buti (his name) to Nelson.When he was old enough, Nelson began to help in the field, herding cattle, plowing, and tending sheep.
In 1930 Nelson's father (Henry Gala Mandela) became very ill, and wanting his son to have a father who was in good health. He gave Nelson to the Paramount Chief.
Nelson had a good life with the Paramount Chief, but one day when the Chief said that he had chosen someone for Nelson to marry, Nelson decided that the Paramount Chief was controlling his life. He stole two oxen and ran away to Johannesburg with his cousin.
Once Nelson arrived in Johannesburg he got work at Crown Mines, but soon a policeman found him and he was on the run again.
When Nelson started going to university he met many people, one was named Walter Sisulu. Walter got Nelson to learn about law and to be a lawyer. Nelson took a course at the University Witwatersrand. It was hard for him not only because he was black, but because blacks in South Africa lacked proper study facilities. There were long train rides and 11 P.M. curfews. At Fort Hare, Nelson became involved in student politics. Nelson started going to Wits Law School. Nelson also became a fine boxer.
Nelson married Evelyn Mase in 1945, divorced her, and then married Winnie Madikizela in 1958. Both of these woman where chosen for him by no one but himself.
Nelson eventually had four children.
Sadly Nelson later divorced Winnie.
Apartheid the system that was in place in South Africa from before Nelson was born to 1990. It was a law that was unfair to black people because it limited their civil rights. They couldn't vote, they couldn't have proper jobs. Blacks had to endure many other things like bad housing (slums without electricity or pluming). Black people were also arrested a lot and put in really bad prisons for no reason!
ANC stands for African National Congress. It's an African group that was formed to put aside problems between the Homeland tribes and concentrate on the problem of apartheid. The ANC was founded in 1912. In 1919 the ANC organized it's first public action. Unfortunately as soon ANC supporters and were about to start handing out papers the police charged in and arrested seven hundred people!
Nelson joined the ANC in 1944, at a time when the abolition of apartheid was just talk. He and sixty two other ANC members decided that they could make a small change in what was happening by pulling younger people into the ANC, and that's just what they did. They formed the ANC youth league.
Nelson and his friends in ANC disagreed with the system of apartheid and wanted to see it end. They were making steps to talk with government officials about the disadvantages of apartheid and how to get rid of it.
One night in 1963 Nelson and Winnie were awakened by the South African police. The police took Nelson away to jail. Nelson was charged with trying to overthrow the state of South Africa. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. Nelson was sent to Robben Island. That was the state's most guarded prison, ships couldn't come near it. It was considered a prison that no one could escape from.
Nelson was to stay in the new isolation section, he was now prisoner #446/64.
He worked in the limestone quarry. In the winter and in the summer he also worked repairing roads and collecting seaweed. Nelson worked for ten years in the limestone quarry until doctors said that lighter work would be better for him.
In 1982 Nelson was moved to Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison, he was now prisoner #D220/82.
In August 1988, Nelson became very ill. He was taken to one of the best medical centers in the country. Because of Nelson's enormous popular support, official were afraid that if he died in jail there would be a massive revolt. By October he was getting better. In December he was moved to a cottage at Victor Verster Prison. Victor Verster was a prison farm with a swimming pool. The South African government Published photos showing the comfort Nelson was living in, these were the first photos of him since 1966.
In 1983 and 1984 headlines started saying things like FREE MANDELA and LET MANDELA GO. People wanted to free Nelson so much that the whole world started to notice. Soon the United States and Great Britain were naming streets and parks after him. Human rights groups and universities were giving him honors and awards. In 1984 a reporter was allowed to see Nelson!
Nelson was offered his freedom in 1985 by president Botha, but Nelson refused it. Botha said that in order to go free Nelson had to agree to a lot of conditions: he had to live in the transkei and formally reject violence, among others. Nelson refused.
In 1989 F.W. de Klerk became the president of South Africa instead of Botha. In 1990 de Klerk made some amazing statements: The ANC and sixty other organizations would be allowed to operate legally. Restrictions on three hundred and seventy-four people would be lifted. There would be a temporary halt to executions. The national state of emergency would soon be lifted. The government was committed to implementing a new constitution with no domination. And "I am now in a position to announce that Mr. Nelson Mandela will be released at Victor Verster Prison. . . . We would like Mr. Mandela's release to take place in a dignified and orderly manner."
On Sunday the 11th of February 1990 at 4:15 Nelson Mandela was free! He had been in jail for 27 years.
In 1994 elections were held to elect a new president. The ANC had put Nelson up for their party to run for president. That night the results came out, the majority had voted for Nelson!
Now the president of South Africa is Nelson Mandela!
Denenberg, Barry Nelson Mandela "No Easy Walk To Freedom", Scholastic Inc; 1991.
Stefoff, Rebecca, Nelson Mandela, A Voice Set Free,
Ballantine Books, 1990.
Katz, Bobbi, Meet Nelson Mandela,
Random House Inc; 1995.
The Oakland Tribune, "Clinton Visits Mandela's Jail Cell," March 28, 1998.
The South African Consulate Los Angeles
http://link2southafrica.com/consulate.html
http://cnn.com/resources/newsmakers/world/africa/mandela.html
Nelson Mandela Biography
http://www.anc.org.za/people/mandela.html
African National Congress Homepage
http://www.anc.org.za/