Nelson Mandela - The person who ended Apartheid in South Africa

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela’s name has still been identical to a true hero. Nevertheless, the world first heard of him as a convict in South Africa’s well-known prison. Nelson Mandela was a rebel, prisoner, leader, anti-apartheid activist, and an inspiration who created history and challenged the world.  He was South Africa’s first black president from 1994 to 1999 in its first multi-racial elections.

Image Source - Britannica

Condition of Blacks in early years

In the early years, blacks had to combat, Apartheid, which was the racial discrimination of blacks by the whites that existed in South Africa from 1948 to the 1990s. During that period, blacks had no vote, no power, and were even not allowed to say and they were treated awfully. It had a massive effect on Nelson Mandela and he rose as a leader of a civil rights group named African National Congress. He commenced protesting the laws, fighting to end apartheid and ensure to attain an equal political, social and economic status.

Image Source - Penn Today - University of Pennsylvania

Mandela's Fight against Apartheid

Mandela commenced studying law at the University of Witwatersrand, where he was the only black African student and therefore, faced racism and discrimination. Becoming increasingly politicized, Mandela marched to support a successful bus boycott to reverse fare prices. In 1943, he met Anton Lembede, an ANC (African National Congress) member associated with the Africanist branch of African nationalism. In 1950, Mandela took Xuma's place as the national executive of ANC, and the same year, he was elected as the national president of ANCYL. 

In July 1952, Mandela was arrested under the Suppression of Communalism Act, 1952 and stood trial as one of the 21 people accused in Johannesburg. They were found guilty of "statutory communism", a term that the government used to describe most opposition to apartheid, their sentence of nine months' hard labor was suspended for two years.

Then again in, 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested in Johannesburg and was sentenced to life in prison. Over the next few decades, the government grows beyond fierce. But in the mid-1980s, the US and the other countries forced economic consents against South Africa, and in 1990, African president Mr. Frederick William de Klerk released Mr. Mandela. He was free but the fight for freedom was far.

Aftermath

After being imprisoned for 27 years Nelson Mandela greeted the world. His efforts were always to unite a country, one nation without race, where every citizen has its opportunity. With the country in chaos president, de Klerk called for a national referendum and voted to end apartheid. It was a huge victory. Mandela’s greatest milestone came in 1993 when South Africa passed a new constitution, guaranteed blacks full rights as citizens.
National elections were held. The man who had spent 27 years in prison was now a presidential candidate and won successfully.
As president, Nelson Mandela immediately began to repair a country torn apart by decades of racial intolerance and violence. Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Prize for peace. The world needed a Mandela, he is admired all around the world. He was just a real human being.

His Death

Nelson Mandela died on 5th December 2013 at the age of 95 due to prolonged respiratory infection.

References

www.wikipedia.org