Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest leaders and statesmen the world has ever seen. He has dedicated his entire life for fighting against the apartheid and for getting sovereign rights of the people of South Africa.
Nelson Mandela was always been promoting the message of forgiveness and equality and he became a global icon of anti-apartheid movements. He was in various South African jail about 27 years due to his fight against Apartheid. While he was in the jail, he has gone through many kinds of humiliation, tortures and inhuman treatments. He was released from Prison in 1990 amid growing domestic and international pressure.

After coming out from the prison, Nelson Mandela refrained from showing any vengeance towards white leaders and white people. Instead he was always talking about the bright future of the country, harmony among the people and their political and cultural reconciliation.

Considering his relentless efforts in ending apartheid and for preserving peace and harmony in South Africa, he has been awarded Nobel Price in 1993.

Nelson Mandela was born in a Royal Thembu family on 18th July 1918 in the village of Mvezo, Eastern Cape and his mother name was Nonqaphi Nosekeni and his father name was Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela. His children names are Makaziwe Mandela, Zenani Mandela, Zindzi Mandela, Makgatho Mandela, Madiba Thembekile Mandela.

He has completed his primary school studies at Clarkbury Boarding Institute. Subsequently he completed his high school studies at the Wesleyan College at Fort Beaufort that was one of the biggest schools for Africans in his country. Nelson Mandela completed his B.A. Degree through the University of South Africa.

In 1944, Mandela along with other young black people formed the Youth League of the African National Congress and hence he was vehemently working for bringing young black people in one umbrella.

In 1948, National Party led South Africa’s white minority government has introduced apartheid laws in the country.

Apartheid was a political system in South Africa in which people were divided into racial groups and kept them apart by law. The Law of apartheid has immensely caused in creation of painful divisions among the people between races and ethnic groups.

When the white minority government started implementing apartheid in the county, Nelson Mandela and his Youth League of the African National Congress were helplessly watching the same.

Since then Nelson Mandela became a leading opponent of the apartheid regime. In 1950 he became the national President of the African National Congress Youth League. Gradually he began mobilizing the young people, individuals, different ethnic groups, white South Africans as well as Indian origins to protest peacefully against the apartheid regime. He started mass movement against apartheid regime to establish democracy in the country and to build a new South Africa that would belong to all South Africans.

African National Congress was founded on 8th January 1912 in the intention of bringing all Africans together as one people and to defend their rights and freedom. Ever since National Party led South Africa’s white minority government introduced apartheid laws in the country in 1948, African National Congress was forced to battle against National Party government as well as the ethnic traditional leaders.

Since then South Africa witnessed widespread violence, hatred, counter-violence and bitter battle between whites and blacks as well as the violence between the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party and the Xhosa-based African national Congress.

During the era of apartheid regime, South Africa was in the grip of a terrible civil war that has caused the death of thousands of innocent people and their economy shattered heavily.

Nelson Mandela was the first black president of South Africa and he became country’s President in 1994. Instead of pursuing and punishing National Party leaders and their ruthless officials, he encouraged people to reconcile with the past, bury the grudges, and set the best example himself by working closely with former enemies to setup up his new government. He was always trying to avoid a split in his country apart on racial lines.
He also tried to bring the people of whites, blacks, and other minority communities together. Because of his vision for a rainbow nation, South Africa is now immensely benefiting from its rich diversity economically, intellectually, and culturally. That was the main reason the former South African President F.W. Deklerk once stated that the Nelson Mandela is a “great unifier of South Africa”.

Because of implementing a good governance in the country, Nelson Mandela was universally respected even after completing his first term. He could have continue in the power even after the end of his second term also. But he stepped down from the power while he was at the height of his popularity. He was always thinking that his country is much bigger than him and his country requires new leadership to run the country in an efficient manner.

Even after stepping down from the Presidency in 1999, he was keep continuing enlightening the communities, inspiring the people and tirelessly campaigning for freedom, forgiveness and justice throughout the world.

His political efforts and method of rapprochement has immensely helped in stopping an enormous amount of bloodshed and pain in the country and it also helped in laying the foundation stones for a modern African democracy. His peaceful legacy is now helping in creating a peaceful and successful South Africa and the people are now living in a cordial atmosphere irrespective of their race, culture and ethnicity.

Today, South Africa can proudly raise its flag as a democratic and multiracial society because of freedom fighters like him.
Nelson Mandela died on 5th December 2013 at the age of 95.