(born 1918). The South African leader Nelson Mandela was the symbol of the fight against apartheid. This official policy in South Africa separated people by race. Mandela spent nearly 30 years of his life as a political prisoner. Early life and political activitiesNelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18,1918, in Umtata, South Africa. He studied at the University College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand. In 1942 he received a law degree from the University of South Africa. Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944. The ANC's goal was to fight for the freedom of black people in South Africa, where a small minority of whites controlled the government. In 1949 Mandela became a leader of the ANC. Soon he was a central figure in the group's fight against the government's policy of apartheid. ImprisonmentMandela's activities often got him into trouble with the government. In 1956 he was put on trial for treason, or working against the country. He was allowed to go free. In 1962, however, Mandela was jailed and sentenced to five years in prison for acts of sabotage. The next year the imprisoned Mandela was again tried for sabotage and treason. He was accused of leading a secret wing of the ANC, which the government had banned. In 1964 he was sentenced to life in prison. In the 1980s, as more people learned about Mandela's experiences, the campaign to free him grew. Mandela's cause was widely supported not only by people in South Africa but also by many international organizations and foreign countries. Under President F.W. de Klerk, the South African government finally set him free on February 11, 1990. PresidencyMandela became president of the ANC in 1991. He and de Klerk worked together to end apartheid. They wanted to change South Africa into a nonracial democracy in which people of all colors would have equal rights. In 1993 they were awarded the Nobel peace prize for their work. In 1994 South Africa held its first elections that were open to candidates of all races. Mandela won the presidency. As president he established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate human-rights crimes. He also introduced housing and education programs designed to improve life in South Africa. In 1996 he supervised the making of a new democratic constitution. Mandela stepped down as president of the ANC in 1997. In 1999 he chose not to seek a second term as president of South Africa, marking his retirement from active politics. |