Celebrating The South African Hero: 7 Facts You Should Know About Nelson Mandela
April is such a significant month for the Republic of South Africa and it is because of one individual – Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
After tenaciously fighting the apartheid regime in South Africa, Mandela was released from serving his life imprisonment sentence 27 years later. His political activism stirred a spark in many Black South Africans and thanks to his freedom fight, South Africa was able to experience its first universal suffrage multiracial democratic elections on April 27, 1994.
Mandela, fondly known as Madiba, is respectfully regarded as the father of modern South Africa and South Africa’s first elected black president in a fully representative democratic election.
In honor of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize winner and South African hero, we’ll be highlighting 7 facts you should know about Nelson Mandela. Stay tuned!
7 Facts You Should Know About Nelson Mandela
1. The First Black President of South Africa
Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s first elected Black president and his term ran for 5 years (1994-1999). It was also the country’s first fully representative election, so his tenure was indeed a significant one for the republic.
2. Nelson Mandela Lived up to His Name
At birth, Mandela was named Rolihlahla Mandela, which means “to pull a branch off a tree” and “troublemaker” in his Xhosa tribe.
It’s no question that his “name worked for him” because he grew to become a renowned political and human rights activist, whose influence spread across the globe.
Mandela was given the name Nelson when he was seven years old by his primary school teacher. Nelson was born July 18, 1918, and at that time, colonials gave African children English names so they could address them easily since their native names were too difficult to pronounce.
3. Mandela Spent 27 years of His Life in Prison
Not everyone gets to experience almost three decades in prison but Nelson Mandela did. Mandela was imprisoned for committing treason and conspiring against the government. This was from 1962-1990.
His 27 years of prison time were spent in three locations:
- Robben Island (1964–1982)
- Pollsmoor Prison (1982–1988)
- Victor Verster Prison (1988–1990)
It was originally a life sentence, but he was released earlier because the African National Congress (ANC) was later declared legal.
4. Nelson Mandela was Married Thrice Before He Died
Another interesting fact you should know about Nelson Mandela is that he married thrice before he died in 2013.
Mandela’s three marriages are listed as follows:
- Evelyn Ntoko Mase (1944–1958)
- Winnie Madikizela (1958–1996)
- Graça Machel (1996–2013)
Graça Machel also happens to be the widow of the late Mozambique President, Samora Machel. After Rolihlahla Mandela married her at 80, she became the first woman in modern history to have married two presidents of different countries.
After Nelson’s death, she also became the first widow of two black presidents.
5. Nelson Mandela is a Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
In 1993, Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize for peacefully bringing the Apartheid regime to an end and laying the foundation for South Africa’s democracy.
Asides from the Nobel Peace Prize, Mandela has received over 260 other awards.
6. Mandela Created the Nelson Mandela Foundation for HIV/AIDS Victims and Rural Development
Mandela refused to run for a second term after his first presidency tenure and instead decided to create a foundation for people struggling with HIV/AIDS and to support rural development in South Africa.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation focuses on the construction of schools, supporting rural development, and combating HIV/AIDS. The deadly disease killed his son Makgatho, as well as many other South Africans in the country.
7. Nelson Mandela Has an International Holiday to His Name
The United Nations proclaimed July 18th (Mandela’s birthday) to be Nelson Mandela International Day in 2009.
It’s a truly beautiful holiday in which people are asked to spend 67 minutes doing something good for others. The 67 minutes represent the 67 years Mandela spent working toward peace, change, and growth in South Africa.
Still on interesting facts that you should know about Nelson Mandela, he was infamously known as “the black Pimpernel”. He earned the nickname because of his ability to evade the security services that were hunting down ANC political activists.
The name alluded to the historical and adventure fiction, The Scarlet Pimpernel, which talked about a hero with a secret identity.
Conclusion
We join the Republic of South Africa to celebrate Nelson Mandela and three decades of sovereignty from the apartheid regime this April.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela may be dead, but the South African hero’s sacrifices and legacy forever live in our hearts.
The spirit of true nationalism will continue to be passed down from one generation to the next and this legacy will forever remain in the hearts of not only South Africans, but Africans in general, and the world at large.
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