Learn about the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, and his life struggle to freedom.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born near Umtata on July 18, 1918. His father was a tribal chieftan and when he died, young Nelson was groomed to become his replacement. He was educated at Methodist mission schools before attending Fort Hare University College between 1938 and 1940, at which time he was expelled for taking part in a student boycott. He then travelled to Johannesburg, where he secured an apprenticeship in a law firm. At the same time he studied for a BA and then a law degree by correspondence.

At the age of twenty four Mandela joined the African National Congress. During the Second World War Mandela, along with other young Africans set about taking the ANC message to the millions of lower class black people around South Africa. These young liberals set about firing up the conservative, conciliatory methods of the ANC old guard in favor of a radical form of Nationalism based on the principle of national self determination.

The ANC Youth League was formed in 1947. They vigorously opposed the apartheid policies of the ruling National Party, using the tools of boycott, strike and civil disobedience. In 1952 Mandela led the ‘defiance campaign’ which involved non-violent resistance to unjust laws. A year later he was elected president of the Transvaal ANC. About the same time Mandela, now admitted to the Bar, opened a law practice in conjunction with ANC National Chairman Oliver Tambo. From the start the Government tried to stifle the practice. During the rest of that decade the two ANC lawyers would fight in and out of the courts over the pass laws, the Bantustan policy, the segregation of Universities and the exploitation of Black labor. For his efforts Mandela was subjected to ongoing official harassment. In 1956 he was charged with treason. In 1961 he was acquitted of the charge.

By 1960 Nelson Mandela was the unchallenged leader of the whole ANC. After the Sharpeville Massacre the ANC was officially banned. A guerrilla arm of the ANC was then formed called Spear of the Nation. Spear of the Nation engaged in Governmental sabotage, with Mandela at the forefront. In mid 1962 he was jailed for five years for encouraging strike action. While serving this sentence he was charged with sabotage. Speaking in court in his defence he stated this his actions were the result of “ a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny, exploitation and oppression of my people by the whites.” He was sentenced to life imprisonment on the Robben Island Maximum Security Prison.

Throughout his imprisonment Mandela refused to appeal. Throughout the 70s and 80s his imprisonment became a rallying point for black resistance. Though out of view for decades, Mandela was still recognised as the leader of the ANC. Throughout the 80’s he rejected several offers of release, all conditional on his renouncing certain beliefs. Finally he was released on February 11, 1990.

Mandela now set out with determined zeal to overthrow apartheid. In 1991 he was elected President of the ANC. In the first democratic elections in 1994, Nelson Mandela was voted state President of South Africa. He served as President until June, 1999, at which time he retired from public life.