Convey Africa would like to wish a Happy 94th Birthday to President Nelson ‘Madiba’ Mandela. So not to take for granted that everyone is fully familiar with Mr. Mandela’s life and accomplishments, we have created a brief profile below.
NAME:
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. In South Africa, he is often affectionately called Madiba, which is the Xhosa name for the clan from which he comes.
LIFE:
He was born on July 18th, 1918 in Mvezo, which is a small village located in the South African district of Umtata. He currently resides in Qunuwhere he is enjoying a quiet retirement from public life.
WORK:
Mandela operated a law firm with his partner, Oliver Tambo, and around 1948, they began providing pro-bono or inexpensive legal advocacy to many South African black who lacked adequate representation.
He spearheaded African National Congress’ (ANC) 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People, through which the Freedom Charter was created as the the core declaration that powered the fight against apartheid.
Mandela co-founded and led the Umkhonto we Sizwe, which means “Spear of the Nation”, in 1962, which served as the armed sector of the ANC. Umkhonto we Sizwe was responsible for sabotage campaigns targeting the military and government, and accommodated for the possibility of a guerilla style war if apartheid did not end soon enough.
Until July of 2008, Mandela and other ANC party members were designated by the United States as terrorists for their efforts against apartheid.
In 1962, he was arrested and imprisoned for 27 years, 18 of which were spent on Robben Island where he worked in the limestone quarry.
On May 10th, 1994 Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa’s first black President, and he served a term of 5 years.
He went on to be a key player and advocate in humanitarian affairs around the world, and even acted as a broker for political affairs such as the settlement of the Lockerbie Bombings involving Col. Muammar Gaddafi.
There are three organizations that are officially associated with Mandela have been established: the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation
LEGACY:
His Excellency, President Nelson Mandela, a living legend, was very instrumental in the liberation of South Africans from oppressive and suppressive apartheid that, for a very long time, seemed for them to be an unending hell. His strength and perseverance, as well as his clarity of vision for the future of South Africans (and Africans at-large) has been a source of inspiration for most of his contemporaries, as well as the many freedom fighters that have followed. He completed his public career by undertaking many causes in defense of those who are suffering, and for the betterment of society as a whole.
Convey Africa 