Nelson Mandela was
born on July 18, 1918, in Mveso, Transkei, South Africa. Becoming actively
involved in the anti-apartheid movement in his 20s, Mandela joined the African
National Congress in 1942. For 20 years, he directed a campaign of peaceful,
non-violent defiance against the South African government and its racist
policies. In 1993,
Mandela and South African President F.W. de Klerk were
jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to dismantle the
country's apartheid system. In 1994, Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa's
first black president. In 2009, Mandela's
birthday (July 18) was declared Mandela Day to promote global
peace and celebrate the South African leader's legacy. Mandela died at his home
in Johannesburg on December 5, 2013, at age 95.
Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela on
July 18, 1918, in the tiny village of Mvezo, on the banks of the Mbashe River
in Transkei, South Africa. "Rolihlahla" in the Xhosa language
literally means "pulling the branch of a tree," but more commonly
translates as "troublemaker."
Nelson Mandela's father, who was destined to
be a chief, served as a counselor to tribal chiefs for several years, but lost
both his title and fortune over a dispute with the local colonial magistrate.
Mandela was only an infant at the time, and his father's loss of status forced
his mother to move the family to Qunu, an even smaller village north of Mvezo.
The village was nestled in a narrow grassy valley; there were no roads, only
foot paths that linked the pastures where livestock grazed. The family lived in
huts and ate a local harvest of maize, sorghum, pumpkin and beans, which was
all they could afford. Water came from springs and streams and cooking was done
outdoors. Mandela played the games of young boys, acting out male
rights-of-passage scenarios with toys he made from the natural materials
available, including tree branches and clay.
At the suggestion of one of his father's
friends, Mandela was baptized in the Methodist Church. He went on to become the
first in his family to attend school. As was custom at the time, and probably
due to the bias of the British educational system in South Africa, Mandela's
teacher told him that his new first name would be Nelson.
When Mandela was 9 years
old, his father died of lung disease, causing his life to change dramatically.
He was adopted by Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo, the acting regent of the Thembu
people—a gesture done as a favor to Mandela's father, who, years earlier, had
recommended Jongintaba be made chief. Mandela subsequently left the carefree
life he knew in Qunu, fearing that he would never see his village again. He
traveled by motorcar to Mqhekezweni, the provincial capital of Thembuland, to
the chief's royal residence. Though he had not forgotten his beloved village of
Qunu, he quickly adapted to the new, more sophisticated surroundings of
Mqhekezweni.
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Pix: Late Mandela. Courtesy: biography.com
