1918-2013
Nelson Mandela’s ultimate achievement was the granting of freedom to the South Africans by the Dutch settlers. He also participated in campaigns to rid South Africa of apartheid and segregation which was rife during the colonial times. He also led South Africa to a path of recovery as the leader of the ANC (South Africa’s ruling party).
He was the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, in 1962 he was arrested and served 27 years in prison on Robben Island.
Mandela has been a leader of remarkable courage, of stamina and resilience. These qualities started to show early in school, as Mandela suffered penalties and expulsions, the result of his steady anti-apartheid conviction. He went to law school, passed the bar and helped to establish South Africa's most prestigious black law firm. No small feat, these accomplishments in those days.
Although Mandela was a controversial figure for much of his life, he became widely popular during the last two decades following his release. Despite a minority of critics who continued to denounce him as a communist and/or terrorist, he gained international acclaim for his activism, having received more than 250 honours, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, The US Presidential medal of Freedom, the Soviet Order of Lenin and the Bharat Ratna. He is held in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name , Madiba, or as Tata ("Father"); he is often described as "the father of the nation". Mandela died following a long illness on 5 December 2013, aged 95, at his home in Johannesburg.
Article based on various sources..
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