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Key South African Nationalists:Nelson Mandela

Answer Text:
Key South African Nationalists.
Nelson Mandela.
- Nelson Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 in Umtata, to a Thembu royal family of Transkei. His forename Rolihlahla, means "troublemaker".
Later he was given a clans’ name, Mandiba.
- His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a local chief and councillor to the monarch.
- In 1926, Gadla was sacked for corruption.
- Nelson's mother was Gadla's third wife, Nosekeni Fanny, a member of the
amaMpemvu clan of Xhosa.
- At a local Methodist school when he was about seven, he was baptised and given the English forename of "Nelson".
- His father died of an undiagnosed ailment when he was nine.
- Aged 16, he underwent the circumcision.
- Mandela joined Clarkebury Boarding Institute in Engcobo, the best secondary school for black Africans in Thembuland.
- After 1948, Mandela began actively participating in politics. He led in the ANC's 1952 Defiance Campaign as
secretary General of the youth league.
- Mandela and 150 other participants in the freedom charter adoption were arrested on 5 December 1956 and charged with treason.
- In 1961 Mandela became leader of the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation). He coordinated sabotage campaigns against military and government targets.
- As President from May 1994 until June 1999, Mandela presided over the transition from minority rule and apartheid.
- He helped to resolve the long-running dispute between Libya on one hand, and the US and Britain, over bringing to trial the two Libyans indicted of the Lockerbie bombing on 21 December 1988.
- Mandela decided not to stand for a second term and retired in 1999, to be succeeded by Thabo Mbeki.
- In July 2001, Mandela was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer. In June 2004, at age 85, Mandela announced that he would be retiring from public life.