The Struggle of Nelson Mandela

A powerful figure known throughout the world as Nelson Mandela. The onset of his life at the date of July 18, 1918 in Mvezo, a small village located in the district of Umtata, the capital of Transkei. He was the first president of South Africa is held by a black man and 1994-1999 as well as the first leader who dared to champion the rights of blacks in the U.S. despite the country monopolized by white men. Before the president, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist and leader of the armed wing of the African National Congress, Umkhonto We Sizwe. The South African court on charges of sabotage and other crimes committed while he led the movement against apartheid. Compatible with the confidence of his sentence, Mandela served 27 years in prison on Robben Island. Once released from prison on the date of February 11, 1990, Mandela supports the negotiations and help lead the transition to multi-racial democracy in South Africa. Nelson Mandela’s big sacrifices in the fight against discrimination in poor communities must be respected by the world community. For me, he such a greatful person as another idol in this world because without his effort, the community of world still have racial sentiment of minority groups.


Nelson was emerging as leader when he was spurred on by the victory of the National Party which won the 1948 all-white elections on the platform of apartheid, at the 1949 Annual Conference the Programme of Action, inspired by the Youth League, which advocated the weapons of boycott, strike, civil disobedience and non-co-operation, was accepted as official ANC policy.




Throughout Mandela's imprisonment, local and international pressure mounted on the South African government to release him, under the resounding slogan Free Nelson Mandela! In 1989, South Africa reached a crossroads when Botha suffered a stroke and was replaced as president by Frederik Willem de Klerk. De Klerk announced Mandela's release in February 1990.
Nelson Mandela was visited several times by delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross, while at Robben Island and later at Pollsmoor prison.
“...to me personally, and those who shared the experience of being political prisoners, the Red Cross was a beacon of humanity within the dark inhumane world of political imprisonment.”