Nelson Mandela

« I am not really free if I deprive somebody else of his freedom »

What he said:• ““we must use time wisely and forever we must use time wisely and forever

realize that the time is always ripe to do realize that the time is always ripe to do right”right”

(nous devons utiliser le temps judicieusement et nous rendre (nous devons utiliser le temps judicieusement et nous rendre

pour toujours compte que le temps est venu de rendre la pour toujours compte que le temps est venu de rendre la justicejustice ))

• ““education is the most powerful weapon education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”which you can use to change the world”

(l'éducation est l'arme la plus puissante que vous pouvez (l'éducation est l'arme la plus puissante que vous pouvez utiliser pour changer le monde) utiliser pour changer le monde)

The beginning

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18th, 1918 in Qunu, a small village of Transkei. He studied at the university of Strong Hare, then he became established in Johannesburg. There he opened a law firm and started to support the ANC (Africain National Congress) in 1944.

His fight :

• Historical leader of the ANC, he organized the armed conflict against the racist regime of apartheid.

•After his arrest in June, 1964, he wascondamned

to a life sentence...

the return to freedom

« we did not attain freedom, we just attained freedom to be free. » Nelson Mandela

« nous n'avons pas atteint la liberté, nous avons juste atteint la liberté d'être libre. »

Both men worked together to put an end to apartheid and have a transition regime .

On July 5th, 1989, he met president Peter Botha in the Cape. He was definitely liberated on February 11th, 1990 on the order of Frederik de Klerk who, for political reasons, put an end to the clandestine nature of the ANC, and solicited him to support civil peace in South Africa.

•He created the commission " For freedom and reconciliation "to judge crimes made since apartheid and to turn over a painful page of Southern Africa history ».

His ideas have remained the same. His program hasn’t changed: he wants a united South Africa without any radical Parliament and the right to vote for everyone.

May 9th, 1994, about two weeks after the first multiracial elections in Southern Africa, the four hundred newly elected deputies carried the leader of the A.N.C and antiapartheid leader, Nelson Mandela to the presidency of South Africa Republic.

For the investiture of Nelson Mandela, on May 10th, 1994, deputations came from the whole world to Pretoria, the South African capital; To celebrate, of course, the victory of the man and of democracy, but also the end of a long international isolation.

                

Nelson Mandela is an influencial personality, not only in Africa, but all over the world.He is one of those who will stand out in our era because they contibute to the progress of mankind.

He was a revolutionary leader with an enormous courage; he is a He was a revolutionary leader with an enormous courage; he is a political negotiator with an extraordinary wisdom, a man devoted to political negotiator with an extraordinary wisdom, a man devoted to the cause of a peaceful transition.the cause of a peaceful transition.

THE END