Nelson Mandela
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| Nelson Mandela | |
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11th President of South Africa
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| In office 27 April 1994 – 1999 |
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| Vice President(s) | Frederik Willem de Klerk Thabo Mbeki |
| Preceded by | Frederik Willem de Klerk (State President of South Africa) |
| Succeeded by | Thabo Mbeki |
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| Born | July 18, 1918 Qunu, Mthatha, Transkei |
| Nationality | South African |
| Political party | African National Congress |
| Spouse | Graça Machel |
| Religion | Christian |
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (July 18, 1918) was the first President of South Africa to be elected in a fully-represented democratic election.
Mandela was born in the Transkei region of South Africa. After his father died when Nelson was nine years old, he lived with the local chief, who sent him to school. After he left Fort Hare University in 1941, he went to Johannesburg. In 1944, he helped start the African National Congress Youth League. He was soon a leader in the group. The government saw him as a threat to their policy of apartheid, and they made it very hard for him to keep leading. He was put in jail for this in 1964. In 1990, he was let out of prison after 27 years. He got the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 together with former President Frederik Willem de Klerk. Mandela was the president of South Africa from 10 May 1994 until 1999. He was considered one of South Africa's greatest leaders of all time and is respected around the world.
He wanted to free South Africa without violence, but when the government started killing and hurting protestors, he started Umkhonto we Sizwe (English: "Spear of the Nation", also MK) with Walter Sisulu and other people in the African National Congress.He admires "Mahatma Ghandi" and follows many of his teachings.
Mandela is a hero in South Africa and in most of the world because he helped end apartheid. He is also a example of racial equality.
When he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 he said
"We stand here today as nothing more than a representative of the millions of our people who dared to rise up against a social system whose very essence is war, violence, racism, oppression, repression and the impoverishment of an entire people."
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