A long walk through history
Rolihlahla Mandela’s life was defined by his ‘long walk to freedom’, but it was also, in itself, a long walk through history. He was born into the Madiba clan on 18 July 1918, just months before the end of the First World War, and his own battle against tyranny would prove to be no less significant.
Resistance was certainly in his blood. As a child, in Mqhekezweni, he had listened intently to tales of his ancestors’ courage – stories that inspired his struggle and doubtless offered him some solace during his 27 years in prison. It was also as a child that he received the name Nelson, given to him by his primary school teacher, Miss Mdingane. Perhaps she thought Rolihlahla, which colloquially means ‘troublemaker’, was a name unbefitting one of her students.
By his own admission, Mandela was never a particularly talented pupil. Indeed, despite starting his LLB law degree in the mid-1940s, he only completed it four decades later, during the final weeks of his imprisonment. Despite this, he was qualified enough to work as a lawyer and, in 1952, he opened the doors to Mandela And Tambo, South Africa’s first black law firm.
In a state as unjust as apartheid South Africa, however, the struggle for freedom couldn’t solely be waged within the law. Nelson Mandela had been involved in politics since the early 1940s, joining the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944; in the early 1950s he was placed in charge of a campaign of civil disobedience.
He was given a suspended two-year sentence as a result of his involvement, but in 1956 was rearrested for ‘high treason’ – the sentence for which was death – along with 155 other activists. The high-profile Treason Trial that followed was, in the words of Chief Luthuli, ‘deliberately calculated to strike terror into hesitant minds and impress upon the entire nation the determination of the governing clique to stifle all opposition’. It lasted until 1961, when the accused were finally found not guilty.
Nelson Mandela shakes hands with Springboks rugby captain Fancois Pienaar in June 1995
It was clearly not the verdict the apartheid regime had been hoping for and Nelson Mandela himself noted that it escalated the conflict between the South African government and those resisting it.
‘During the Treason Trial,’ he wrote, ‘there were no examples of individuals being isolated, beaten and tortured in order to elicit information. All of those things became commonplace shortly thereafter.’
Violence was already widespread, however, and in March 1960, police killed 69 unarmed civilians in Sharpeville. The tragedy became known as the Sharpeville Massacre and led to the first state of emergency. Opposition groups were also taking up weapons and, in 1961, after his acquittal in the Treason Trial, Mandela was asked to lead the struggle, establishing ANC’s armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, Spear of the Nation.
Arrested again and charged with sabotage, he was put on trial in Rivonia. It was here, on 20 April 1964, that he made his ‘Speech from the Dock’:
‘I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.’
Mandela was convicted two months later, on 11 June and sentenced to life imprisonment. He would remain in jail, on Robben Island and later in Pollsmoor Prison, until 1990 and was refused leave even to attend the funerals of his mother in 1968, and his eldest son, Thembi, in 1969.
Mandela and others were charged with 'high treason' in 1956
The struggle against white minority rule continued, however, and the campaign for his freedom became an international cause célèbre. In 1988, 72,000 sang along to Free Nelson Mandela at a Wembley stadium concert, and in 1990, under pressure from tighter sanctions, President FW de Klerk finally ordered his release.
In 1993, Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and two years later, he was elected President in a landmark election. For the first time in South Africa’s history, all races finally had the vote – and Nelson Mandela had become one of the world’s most charismatic, best-loved and influential statesmen.
Succeeded as president by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki, Nelson Mandela slowly withdrew from public life, good-humouredly replying, ‘Don’t call me, I’ll call you’ to the endless invitations he received.
After 95 dramatic years and a long illness, South Africa and the world had prepared for his death. But we will be celebrating his life for generations to come.
In 1958, Mandela married Winnie Madikizela and they had two daughters. Winnie took an active role in trying to free Mandela from prison, but often through violent means. The couple divorced in 1996 on the grounds of her adultery and she is now a member of the African National Congress’s National Executive Committee.
On his 80th birthday, Mandela married his third wife, Graça Machel, a humanitarian and former First Lady of Mozambique. In 1995, Machel received the United Nations Nansen Refugee Award in recognition of her work on behalf of refugee children.
Resistance was certainly in his blood. As a child, in Mqhekezweni, he had listened intently to tales of his ancestors’ courage – stories that inspired his struggle and doubtless offered him some solace during his 27 years in prison. It was also as a child that he received the name Nelson, given to him by his primary school teacher, Miss Mdingane. Perhaps she thought Rolihlahla, which colloquially means ‘troublemaker’, was a name unbefitting one of her students.
By his own admission, Mandela was never a particularly talented pupil. Indeed, despite starting his LLB law degree in the mid-1940s, he only completed it four decades later, during the final weeks of his imprisonment. Despite this, he was qualified enough to work as a lawyer and, in 1952, he opened the doors to Mandela And Tambo, South Africa’s first black law firm.
In a state as unjust as apartheid South Africa, however, the struggle for freedom couldn’t solely be waged within the law. Nelson Mandela had been involved in politics since the early 1940s, joining the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944; in the early 1950s he was placed in charge of a campaign of civil disobedience.
He was given a suspended two-year sentence as a result of his involvement, but in 1956 was rearrested for ‘high treason’ – the sentence for which was death – along with 155 other activists. The high-profile Treason Trial that followed was, in the words of Chief Luthuli, ‘deliberately calculated to strike terror into hesitant minds and impress upon the entire nation the determination of the governing clique to stifle all opposition’. It lasted until 1961, when the accused were finally found not guilty.
Nelson Mandela shakes hands with Springboks rugby captain Fancois Pienaar in June 1995It was clearly not the verdict the apartheid regime had been hoping for and Nelson Mandela himself noted that it escalated the conflict between the South African government and those resisting it.
‘During the Treason Trial,’ he wrote, ‘there were no examples of individuals being isolated, beaten and tortured in order to elicit information. All of those things became commonplace shortly thereafter.’
Violence was already widespread, however, and in March 1960, police killed 69 unarmed civilians in Sharpeville. The tragedy became known as the Sharpeville Massacre and led to the first state of emergency. Opposition groups were also taking up weapons and, in 1961, after his acquittal in the Treason Trial, Mandela was asked to lead the struggle, establishing ANC’s armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, Spear of the Nation.
Arrested again and charged with sabotage, he was put on trial in Rivonia. It was here, on 20 April 1964, that he made his ‘Speech from the Dock’:
‘I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.’
Mandela was convicted two months later, on 11 June and sentenced to life imprisonment. He would remain in jail, on Robben Island and later in Pollsmoor Prison, until 1990 and was refused leave even to attend the funerals of his mother in 1968, and his eldest son, Thembi, in 1969.
Mandela and others were charged with 'high treason' in 1956The struggle against white minority rule continued, however, and the campaign for his freedom became an international cause célèbre. In 1988, 72,000 sang along to Free Nelson Mandela at a Wembley stadium concert, and in 1990, under pressure from tighter sanctions, President FW de Klerk finally ordered his release.
In 1993, Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and two years later, he was elected President in a landmark election. For the first time in South Africa’s history, all races finally had the vote – and Nelson Mandela had become one of the world’s most charismatic, best-loved and influential statesmen.
Succeeded as president by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki, Nelson Mandela slowly withdrew from public life, good-humouredly replying, ‘Don’t call me, I’ll call you’ to the endless invitations he received.
After 95 dramatic years and a long illness, South Africa and the world had prepared for his death. But we will be celebrating his life for generations to come.
Mandela’s women
Nelson Mandela married his first wife Evelyn Mase in 1944. Evelyn was the breadwinner as a nurse and financially supported Mandela while he was studying law. The couple had four children together but divorced in 1957, primarily due to the pressure of Mandela’s dedication to the anti-apartheid struggle.In 1958, Mandela married Winnie Madikizela and they had two daughters. Winnie took an active role in trying to free Mandela from prison, but often through violent means. The couple divorced in 1996 on the grounds of her adultery and she is now a member of the African National Congress’s National Executive Committee.
On his 80th birthday, Mandela married his third wife, Graça Machel, a humanitarian and former First Lady of Mozambique. In 1995, Machel received the United Nations Nansen Refugee Award in recognition of her work on behalf of refugee children.