Nelson Mandela, in full Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, bynameMadiba (born July 18, 1918, Mvezo, South Africa—diedDecember 5, 2013, Johannesburg), black nationalist and the first black president of South Africa (1994–99). His negotiations in the early 1990s with South African Pres. F.W. de Klerk helped end the country’s apartheid system of racial segregation and ushered in a peaceful transition to majority rule. Mandela and de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993 for their efforts. Early life and work
The son of Chief Henry Mandela of the Madiba clan of the Xhosa-speaking Tembu people, Nelson Mandela renounced his claim to the chieftainship to become a lawyer. He attended South African Native College (later the University of Fort Hare) and studied law at the University of the Witwatersrand; he later passed the qualification exam to become a lawyer. In 1944 he joined the African National Congress (ANC), a black-liberation group, and became a leader of its Youth League. That same year he met and married Evelyn Ntoko Mase. Mandela subsequently held other ANC leadership positions, through which he helped revitalize the organization and oppose the apartheid policies of the ruling National Party.
In 1952 in Johannesburg, with fellow ANC leader Oliver Tambo, Mandela established South Africa’s first black law practice, specializing in cases resulting from the post-1948 apartheid legislation. Also that year, Mandela played an important role in launching a campaign of defiance against South Africa’s pass laws, which required nonwhites to carry documents (known as passes, pass books, or reference books) authorizing their presence in areas that the government deemed “restricted” (i.e., generally reserved for the white population). He traveled throughout the country as part of the campaign, trying to build support for nonviolent means of protest against the discriminatory laws. In 1955 he was involved in drafting the Freedom Charter, a document calling for nonracial social democracy in South Africa.
Mandela’s antiapartheid activism made him a frequent target of the authorities. Starting in 1952, he was intermittently banned (severely restricted in travel, association, and speech). In December 1956 he was arrested with more than 100 other people on charges of treason that were designed to harass antiapartheid activists. Mandela went on trial that same year and eventually was acquitted in 1961. During the extended court proceedings, he divorced his first wife and married Nomzamo Winifred Madikizela (Winnie Madikizela-Mandela).
Underground activity and the Rivonia Trial
After the massacre of unarmed black South Africans by police forces at Sharpeville in 1960 and the subsequent banning of the ANC, Mandela abandoned his nonviolent stance and began advocating acts of sabotage against the South African regime. He went underground (during which time he became known as the Black Pimpernel for his ability to evade capture) and was one of the founders ofUmkhonto we Sizwe (“Spear of the Nation”), the military wing of the ANC. In 1962 he went to Algeria for training in guerrilla warfare and sabotage, returning to South Africa later that year. On August 5, shortly after his return, Mandela was arrested at a road block in Natal; he was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison.
In October 1963 the imprisoned Mandela and several other men were tried for sabotage, treason, and violent conspiracy in the infamous Rivonia Trial, named after a fashionable suburb of Johannesburg where raiding police had discovered quantities of arms and equipment at the headquarters of the underground Umkhonto we Sizwe. Mandela’s speech from the dock, in which he admitted the truth of some of the charges made against him, was a classic defense of liberty and defiance of tyranny. (His speech garnered international attention and acclaim and was published later that year as I Am Prepared to Die.) On June 12, 1964, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, narrowly escaping the death penalty.
Incarceration
From 1964 to 1982 Mandela was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town. He was subsequently kept at the maximum-security Pollsmoor Prison until 1988, when, after being treated for tuberculosis, he was transferred to Victor Verster Prison near Paarl. The South African government periodically made conditional offers of freedom to Mandela, most notably in 1976, on the condition that he recognize the newly independent—and highly controversial—status of the Transkei Bantustanand agree to reside there. An offer made in 1985 required that he renounce the use of violence. Mandela refused both offers, the second on the premise that only free men were able to engage in such negotiations and, as a prisoner, he was not a free man.
Throughout his incarceration, Mandela retained wide support among South Africa’s black population, and his imprisonment became a cause célèbre among the international community that condemned apartheid. As South Africa’s political situation deteriorated after 1983, and particularly after 1988, he was engaged by ministers of Pres. P.W. Botha’s government in exploratory negotiations; he met with Botha’s successor, de Klerk, in December 1989.
On February 11, 1990, the South African government under President de Klerk released Mandela from prison. Shortly after his release, Mandela was chosen deputy president of the ANC; he became president of the party in July 1991. Mandela led the ANC in negotiations with de Klerk to end apartheid and bring about a peaceful transition to nonracial democracy in South Africa.
Presidency and retirement
In April 1994 the Mandela-led ANC won South Africa’s first elections by universal suffrage, and on May 10 Mandela was sworn in as president of the country’s first multiethnic government. He established in 1995 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which investigated human rights violations under apartheid, and he introduced housing, education, and economic development initiatives designed to improve the living standards of the country’s black population. In 1996 he oversaw the enactment of a new democratic constitution. Mandela resigned his post with the ANC in December 1997, transferring leadership of the party to his designated successor, Thabo Mbeki. Mandela and Madikizela-Mandela had divorced in 1996, and in 1998 Mandela married Graca Machel, the widow of Samora Machel, the former Mozambican president and leader of Frelimo.
Mandela did not seek a second term as South African president and was succeeded by Mbeki in 1999. After leaving office Mandela retired from active politics but maintained a strong international presence as an advocate of peace, reconciliation, and social justice, often through the work of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, established in 1999. He was a founding member of the Elders, a group of international leaders established in 2007 for the promotion of conflict resolution and problem solving throughout the world. In 2008 Mandela was feted with several celebrations in South Africa, Great Britain, and other countries in honour of his 90th birthday.
Mandela Day, observed on Mandela’s birthday, was created to honour his legacy by promoting community service around the world. It was first observed on July 18, 2009, and was sponsored primarily by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the 46664 initiative (the foundation’s HIV/AIDS global awareness and prevention campaign); later that year the United Nations declared that the day would be observed annually as Nelson Mandela International Day.
Mandela’s writings and speeches were collected in I Am Prepared to Die (1964; rev. ed. 1986), No Easy Walk to Freedom (1965; updated ed. 2002), The Struggle Is My Life (1978; rev. ed. 1990), and In His Own Words (2003). His autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, was published in 1994.
Death of Nelson Mandela
On 5 December 2013, Nelson Mandela, the first President of South Africa elected in a fully representative democratic election, died at the age of 95 after suffering from a prolonged respiratory infection. He died at around 20:50 local time (UTC+2) at his home inHoughton, Johannesburg, South Africa, surrounded by his family.[1] His death was announced by President Jacob Zuma.[1][2]Reactions from governments, international organizations, and notable individuals, gained worldwide media coverage.
South Africa observed a national mourning period of 10 days. During this time numerous memorial services were conducted across the country. The official memorial service was held at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, on 10 December. His body lay in state at theUnion Buildings in Pretoria from 11 to 13 December 2013. A state funeral was held on 15 December 2013 in Qunu in the Eastern Cape province, where his body was buried.
President Jacob Zuma announced Mandela's death on national television on 5 December 2013 at 23:45 local time (UTC+2)
Official funeral events
The South African government announced a period of 10 days of national mourning ending with the state funeral on 15 December 2013.[5] Zuma ordered that all flags on government buildings be flown at half-mast for the duration of this period.
On 9 December the government confirmed that at least 80 foreign heads of state and government would travel to South Africa to attend events. African heads of state confirmed to be attending include the Prime Minister of Lesotho, the President of Mozambique, thePresident of Namibia, the President of Niger, the President of Nigeria, the Prime Minister of Swaziland, the President of Tanzania, thePresident of Tunisia, the President of Uganda, the President of Zimbabwe, and the President of Zambia. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zumaattended in her capacity as Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Other notable guests include the President of the United States and three former presidents of the United States; the President of India; the Prime Minister of Italy; the Vice President of China; the President of Brazil; the President of France; the President of Ireland; thePrime Minister of the United Kingdom; the President of Germany; the Prime Minister of Australia; two former Governors General of Canada, the Prime Minister of Canada, and three former Prime Ministers of Canada; the Prime Minister of Jamaica; the Prime Minister of Jordan; and the President of Afghanistan. Royal dignitaries attending include, the King of the Netherlands, the King of Belgium, thePrince of Wales, the Prince of Asturias, the Crown Prince of Denmark, the Crown Princess of Sweden, the Crown Prince of Norway, theCrown Prince of Japan, and the Queen Rania of Jordan.[5]
Day of prayer and reflection
The South African government declared Sunday, 8 December 2013 to be observed as a national day of prayer and reflection
We call upon all our people to gather in halls, churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and in their homes for prayer services and meditation, reflecting on the life of Madiba and his contribution to our country and the world.
State memorial service
The official memorial service was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 10 December 2013 commencing at 11:00 local time (UTC+2). 91 heads of state and government; and 10 retired presidents were expected to attend this service.[9][10]
Sign language interpretation
In what was characterised as a national embarrassment, during the memorial service it became evident that the official sign language interpreter, Thamsanqa Jantjie, was a fake. DeafSA, a South African association for the deaf, stated that Jantjie had made a "mockery of South African sign language" and that the "deaf community was in outrage". Jantjie, who stood on the memorial stage alongside world leaders throughout the event, made meaningless hand gestures that did not reflect established signs. How Jantjie had obtained the job and received security clearance raised questions about bureaucratic mismanagement.[12]
On 12 December, Jantjie apologised if he had offended anyone, explaining that his performance was impaired due to a hallucination brought on by his schizophrenia. He added that he suffers from violent tendencies and stated that he had been hospitalised in a mental health facility for 19 months, beginning around 2006. Nonetheless, he maintained that he performed well, calling himself "a champion of sign language".
The same day, Deputy Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu admitted, "In the process, and in the speed of the event, a mistake happened." However, she rejected the view that Jantjie was a fraud, stating, "we should not say that he is a fake interpreter because he does have a basic sign language translation qualification. He started off very well and got tired in the process ... [H]e has interpreted to deaf people in court before and is able to communicate with his deaf friends very well. It's just that (on that day) he did not sign what was expected of him."[The South African news broadcaster eNCA alleges that between 1994 to 2003 Jantjie was charged, but not sentenced, for various crimes ranging from rape and housebreaking to attempted murder and kidnapping. According to the report he was sentenced to three years in prison for theft but the other charges were dropped as he was judged mentally unfit to stand trial.] Another report states that Jantjie was part of a group that found two men with a stolen television, and then burned them to death by setting fire to tires placed around their necks (a practice known as "necklacing").
Booing of President Zuma
South African President Jacob Zuma was unexpectedly booed and jeered by some in the crowd, though other sections cheered him on. The booing faded when Zuma addressed the crowd.[17] The negative reaction reportedly stemmed from public anger over corruptionscandals that have tainted Zuma and his government. The current ANC leadership is viewed as not living up to Mandela's celebrated legacy.[18]
Obama–Castro handshake
United States President Barack Obama shook hands with Cuban leader Raul Castro, the first such encounter between sitting U.S. and Cuban heads of state since Bill Clinton and Fidel Castro shook hands at the U.N. in 2000.[19] The gesture prompted criticism fromRepublican politicians in Washington. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Cuban-American opponent of the Castro regime, said "Sometimes a handshake is just a handshake, but when the leader of the free world shakes the bloody hand of a ruthless dictator like Raul Castro, it becomes a propaganda coup for the tyrant." Senator John McCain compared the Obama–Castro handshake to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's handshake with Adolf Hitler when the two were in the process of negotiating the Munich Agreementin 1938 saying, "Neville Chamberlain shook hands with Hitler. It gives Raul some propaganda to continue to prop up his dictatorial, brutal regime, that's all". The Cuban government welcomed the gesture, although the White House said it had been unplanned.
Obama–Thorning-Schmidt–Cameron selfie
Along with President Obama, Helle Thorning-Schmidt and David Cameron—the respective leaders of USA, Denmark, and the UK—faced criticism on social media that they had behaved inappropriately after posing for a "selfie" which was taken using Thorning-Schmidt's mobile phone.[22][23] Defending her actions, Thorning-Schmidt said, "There were lots of pictures taken that day, and I just thought it was a bit fun. Maybe it also shows that when we meet heads of state and government, we too are just people who have fun." Cameron said he was being polite when Thorning-Schmidt asked him to take part in the picture.
Lying in state
Mandela's body lay in state at the Union Buildings in Pretoria from 11 to 13 December 2013.[7] Approximately 100,000 mourners viewed Mandela's body over the three days. The crowds grew larger each day and thousands who queued on the final day could not be accommodated and were turned away.] Nelson Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, remained with his grandfather's body for all three days, in accordance with AbaThembu tradition, which requires an adult male family member to remain with the body until burial.
State funeral, Qunu
The state funeral was held on 15 December 2013 in Qunu in the Eastern Cape. The ceremony was held in a very large tent in Qunu erected for the event and attended by 4,500 people, including various heads of state and foreign dignitaries.[28] The ceremony was televised on South African television up until the burial, when the filming and broadcast was stopped at the advance request of the Mandela family.] The ceremony was shown on big screens set up in public viewing spaces around the area.[ The burial part of the funeral programme was attended by 450 selected people, including relatives and chosen dignitaries. Shortly before the burial, Nelson Mandela was given a 21 gun salute and amissing man formation flyover by fighter jets
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