Nelson Mandela, a Xhosa was born into the royal family among the Thembu On 18 July 1918 (the Thembu are part of the Xhosa). He enrolled in the University of Fort Hare School of Law. He moved to Johannesburg where he was fascinated at how blacks were treated thus he quickly joined the anti-colonial struggle and joined ANC, where he formed its youth league in 1944.
At that time the racist apartheid regime was highly a one-party state under National Party’s white government established and emphasised apartheid, a system of racial segregation that privileged whites and made Africans second-hand citizens in their own motherland. Young and determined Mandela and the ANC committed themselves to overthrowing it and restoring black dignity.
He quickly rose to prominence his message was highly welcomed by many oppressed Africans, at this point the white racist government began to be worried about a young determined Mandela who had fronted himself as a leader of a black movement campaigning for a self-independent South Africa.
Although his movement was non-violent in 1961 he secretly joined and co-founded militant uMkhonto we Sizwe in 1961 and led a sabotage campaign against the government. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1962, and, following the Rivonia Trial, was sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiring to overthrow the state.
Nelson served his prison sentence, luckily after international condemnations and risks of a civil war in South Africa the racist apartheid regime under F W De Clerk, he was released in 1990.
Mandela later became president in 1994 after a triumph in multi elections becoming the first black South Africa president, he emphasised reconciliation in his post-racist government regime.
As a determined pan-Africanist who emphasised economic changes in land reforms, the health sector, and combated poverty campaigns among Africans.
Internationally, Nelson Mandela established himself as a diplomat and was a mediator in many conflicts globally.
Nelson Mandela surprised many when he chose not to stand for a second presidential term instead he was replaced by his deputy Thabo Mbeki.
He later shifted his attention to his NGO the Nelson Mandela Foundation which entirely focused on poverty eradication and the fight against HIV spread.
What did Nelson Mandela stand for?
From the beginning Nelson Mandela fronted himself as a man of the people, he emphasised unity and reconciliation.
Nelson emphasised and showed the world it is possible to lead and defend oppressed people’s interests. When he was serving his prison time, the apartheid regime attempted to lure Mandela several times into making a deal with him, to set him free and be given a lot of personal privilege and give fighting the racist government but he resisted and championed the struggle to liberate oppressed Africans.
Kamukama Rukundo Clinton is a Ugandan freelance journalist, book author, and columnist for 1cananews who can be contacted via WhatsApp at +25670439540 and rukundopeter33@gmail.com
