Biography Nelson Mendala

Nelson Mandela

• Nelson Mandela born at Qunu, near Umtata on 18 July 1918.

• 1952 Mandela and Tambo opened the first Black Law firm in South Africa.

• 1944 Mandela helped found the ANC Youth League.

• 1949 Programme of Action was adopted by the ANC.

•  1952 Defiance Campaign and later acts of sabotage.

•  late 50s S.A.state had become increasingly repressive making it more difficult for the ANC to operate. 

• However in 1960 the Sharpeville massacre of 63 black South African’s changed the whole political climate. 

• South Africa was increasingly isolated on the international scene and the government banned the ANC. This led Mandela to advocate armed struggle through the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK).

•  1962 Mandela had been arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in the notorious Robben Island prison.

• 10 May 1994 Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first democratically elected State President of South Africa on and was President until June 1999. As president, Mandela presided over the transition from minority rule and apartheid. His advocacy of reconciliation led to international acclaim and importantly the trust of the White African population.

• Although negotiations were painfully slow and difficult, they eventually led to Mandela’s release in 1990. It was an emotional moment watched by millions around the globe.