20th-Century South African People - Nelson Mandela (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 105. Not illustrated. Chapters: Nelson Mandela. Excerpt: Sharpeville massacreSoweto uprising . Treason TrialRivonia TrialChurch Street bombing . CODESASt James Church massacreCape Town peace march Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (Xhosa pronunciation: ), born 18 July 1918, served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). The South African courts convicted him on charges of sabotage, as well as other alleged crimes committed while he led the movement against apartheid. In accordance with his sentence, Mandela served 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island. Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela supported reconciliation and negotiation, and helped lead the transition towards multi-racial democracy in South Africa. Since the end of apartheid, many have frequently praised Mandela, including former opponents. In South Africa he is often known as Madiba, an honourary title adopted by elders of Mandela's clan. The title has come to be synonymous with Nelson Mandela. Mandela has received more than 250 awards over four decades, most notably the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. In November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly announced that Mandela's birthday, 18 July, is to be known as 'Mandela Day' to mark his contribution to world freedom. Despite this acclaim, Mandela remains a controversial figure because of his Cold War communist connections and the economic and military decline of South Africa following his takeover. Nelson Mandela belongs to a cadet branch of the Thembu dynasty, which reigns in the Transkeian Territories of South Afr...