Mandela, Nelson

Mandela, Nelson (July 18, 1918 - December 5, 2013)

Nelson Mandela, born in South Africa, is an anti- apartheid revolutionary politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 and was the first black person to serve as President in South Africa. The election was also the first fully representative, multiracial election in South Africa. Nelson’s government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalized racism, poverty and inequality as well as fostering racial reconciliation. Mandela became involved in anti-colonial politics from a young age and rose to prominence in the African National Congress (ANC) Defiance Campaign. Mandela was often arrested for civil disobedience and other unlawful activities and was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial after leading a bombing campaign against government targets, and ended up serving 27 years in the infamous Robben Island Prison. Nelson Mandela was a controversial figure for most of his life, with right-wing critics categorizing him as a terrorist and communist sympathiser. He has nevertheless received international acclaim for his anti-apartheid efforts, having received over 250 awards, including the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize.