- (Mandela) Nelson Rolihlahla (born 1918), President of South Africa since May 1994. Co-founder of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League. Since 1944, member of the ANC, since 1991, President of the ANC. He was arrested several times. In 1964 he was sentenced to ... ... Modern encyclopedia
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ... Wikipedia
Mandēla, see Sabinum, Sabines ... The Real Dictionary of Classical Antiquities
Mandela- apology ... Spelling vocabulary of the Ukrainian language
Mandela N.R.- MANDELA (Mandela) Nelson Rolihlahla (b. 1918), President of South Africa since 1994. President of Afr. nat. Congr. (ANC) in South Africa (since 1991). One of the founders of the ANC Youth League. Active fighter against apartheid. He was arrested several times. In 1964 he was sentenced to ... ... Biographical Dictionary
- (b. July 18, 1918) South African statesman, President of South Africa (since 1994). Born in Umtata (Transkei) in the family of the leader of the Telebu tribe. He studied at Fort Heru College, from which he was expelled in 1940 for participating in a student strike, worked ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Commune Mandela Mandela Country Italy Italy ... Wikipedia
Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla- (Mandela, Nelson Rolihlahla) (born 1918), South African. politician, President of South Africa. He was the leader of the African National Congress (ANC) and a member of its paramilitary organization Spear of the Nation, was in exile (1953 55), and after returning to South Africa ... ... The World History
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Books
- Lawyers of the East. Mahatma Gandhi. Nelson Mandela. Lee Kuan Y. Muhammad Ali Jinna, Vasyaev A.A.
- Climbing the mountains. Life lessons from my grandfather, Nelson Mandela, Mandela Ndaba. Ndaba Mandela is the grandson and pupil of his famous grandfather. Nelson Mandela taught him many life lessons that changed not only him, but the world as we know it. Book…
The name of Nelson Mandela was mentioned in the Soviet Union exclusively in the context of the unequal struggle of Africans with white "exploiters". By the 80s of the last century, voices from the opposite camp - the USA and Europe - joined the USSR's demand to free the prisoner of conscience. As a result, the apartheid regime collapsed, Mandela became the first black president of South Africa.
Any schoolchild in the USSR knew what South African apartheid was. However, the black residents of South Africa themselves at first did not know about it. After all, this was the case everywhere and where the white colonialists came, and to some extent it was the norm. Moreover, South African Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd, who proclaimed a course for "real sovereignty" and a policy of apartheid, enjoyed the support of blacks, for he allowed them self-government and protection of the law in their settlements (bantustans).
The Zulu tribes even gave him a nickname - "the man who brought rain", that is, abundance. But there were also Africans who wanted not only to work, but also to live among whites, because their standard of living was incomparably higher. Apartheid, on the other hand, imposed severe restrictions, and violation was punishable by repression. And if ordinary citizens were law-abiding, then the young representatives of the African nobility considered this state of affairs to be unfair.
One of them was the great-grandson of the ruler of the Tembu people - Rolilahla Mandela, better known as Nelson Mandela. His path into politics could never have taken place if his relatives had not found him a "profitable" bride. Because of his unwillingness to marry, Mandela dropped out of university and fled from his guardian. Relatives, in the end, gave in to him, relations improved, and Nelson went back to university. But already in the other - the Witwatersrand. It was there that Nelson Mandela learned how badly Africans live on their land.
White socialists and communists helped to see the crown prince, who spoke under the slogans: "Africans should be masters in their land", "White colonial humiliates blacks!" Among other things, the agitators did not forget to mention that all "progressive humanity" supports the struggle of Africans for their rights.
The first action of the young Nelson Mandela was to take part in a rally against the increase in bus fares. But already in 1943 he became a member of the African National
Congress (ANC). However, he hated being on the sidelines, and he founded the Youth League under the ANC. Her manifesto was written from the standpoint of African nationalism and expressed the opinion that there is no place for a white man in Africa.
When the National Party, which proclaimed the course towards apartheid, won the country in 1948, Mandela began to blame the leaders of the ANC: "This is what your liberalism has led to!" Naturally, Nelson's authority grew among black youth, and in 1950 he became president of the ANC Youth League. In addition, there is evidence that Mandela (like the entire leadership of the ANC) was also a member of the South African Communist Party, which was mainly run by Jewish guys.
The first time the police arrested Mandela and another 150 people on December 5, 1956. They were accused of high treason and the desire for a violent change of government. But over the four years of the investigation, the detectives never found corpus delicti, and the accused were acquitted.
The Nelson Mandela Effect
The 50-60s of the XX century were marked by a series of revolutions and the overthrow of the colonialist regime in such African countries as Sudan, Ghana, Nigeria, Congo. Supporters expected something similar from Mandela. The impetus was the tragedy in Sharpeville on March 21 in 1960. On that day, the ANC called on blacks to come to the police station to voice their grievances against the register system.
The site was surrounded by a crowd of 6 thousand people, which the cops dispersed with gas and truncheons. After a while, people again began to flock to the precinct, demanding the release of three arrested during the dispersal of the leaders. When the protesters began to swing the fence surrounding the mission, the policemen lost their nerves, and fire was opened on the crowd. The result of the 40-second shooting was the killing of 69 people.
After this tragedy, ANC members began to demand from Mandela to abandon the postulates of Mahatma Gandhi, replacing them with the more familiar one - blood for blood. And Nelson Mandela did not disappoint their expectations, organizing in 1961 the armed wing of the ANC - "Umkonto we sizwe" ("Spear of the nation"). The goal of this organization was to destroy the state built by the whites. To do this, Nelson managed to attract money from abroad and provide training for his fighters outside South Africa.
Apartheid in South Africa
And soon the terrorists made themselves felt. This is what Mandela's associate Wolfi Kadesh recalled: "... from December 16, 1961, we had to start blowing up symbolic places of apartheid, such as passport offices, local magistrates' courts, post offices and government offices." By the 1980s, the number of victims of the Black Terror numbered in the hundreds. Even Mandela himself admitted that the ANC in its struggle grossly violated human rights. As a result, the ANC was classified by the United States as a terrorist organization, and its members were banned from entering the United States until 2008.
Even more surprising, apartheid South African laws have become the blueprint for the post-September 11, 2001 US counterterrorism response. However, American
intelligence agencies helped the South African authorities neutralize black terrorists. True, they did this because of the latter's belonging to the Communists. On August 5, 1962, Nelson Mandela, already on the wanted list for 17 months, was stopped by the police while driving a car. He had a passport with him in a false name, and this seemed strange to the inspector. In the station where the detainee was taken, it turned out that he was responsible for much more serious crimes.
In 1963, Nelson Mandela was sentenced to five years in prison for organizing a strike and illegally crossing the border. But these were just "flowers". On July 11, 1963, South African police, on a tip from MI6 and the CIA, arrested several ANC leaders at Lilisleaf's farm. Mandela's notes were also found there. As a result, he was presented with new charges of planning terrorist attacks. Amazingly, Nelson Mandela admitted these charges in court! He denied only the accusation of inviting a foreign army to South Africa.
However, the court found him and the other defendants guilty. According to the established practice, the death penalty awaited them, but on June 12, 1964, it was replaced by life imprisonment. To serve his sentence, Mandela was sent to Robben Island at the Cape of Good Hope. There were no fences, towers and barking shepherd dogs, but escape from here was considered impossible. Unlike the Gulag, political convicts lived here separately from criminals, although they had fewer rights.
For example, Nelson Mandela received only one date and one letter in six months. However, this inconvenience was easily bypassed with the help of lawyers who secretly delivered letters to political prisoners. In addition, in custody, Nelson Mandela was able to receive a diploma from the University of London. According to legend, Nelson Mandela worked in a quarry in prison, but, judging by the camp documents, he worked as a cartographer, and in recent years he was completely released from work and transferred to a comfortable cottage.
In 1988, South African President Peter Botha offered him freedom in exchange for "an unconditional renunciation of violence as a political weapon," but Nelson Mandela rejected this.
offer. At the same time, Nelson was transferred to the Victor-Verster prison, where he awaited release. At that time, South Africa had long been under the pressure of sanctions, and everyone understood that the days of apartheid were numbered.
Finally, on February 11, 1990, South Africa's last white president, Frederic de Klerk, often referred to as the South African Gorbachev, signed a decree legalizing the ANC and releasing Mandela. Four years later, in 1994, the ANC leader succeeded de Klerk as president.
The transition to a democratic track has cost South Africa dearly. During the presidency of Nelson Mandela (1994-1999), incomes of South Africans fell by 40%, and the rate of homicide among "liberated" citizens increased significantly. Moreover, the victims were mostly white farmers who gave jobs to thousands of Africans. Now their farms were being burned, the lands were empty. As a result, more than 750 thousand whites left the country. Black racism was no better than white.
Nelson Rolilahla Mandela
braid Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
Nelson Rolilahla Mandela
8th President of South Africa May 10, 1994 - June 14, 1999
Vice President: Thabo Mbeki
Frederic Willem de Klerk
Preceded by: Frederic Willem de Klerk
Successor: Thabo Mbeki
18th Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement
September 3, 1998 - June 14, 1999
Preceded by: Andres Pastrana Arango
Successor: Thabo Mbeki
10th President of the African National Congress
July 5, 1991 - December 17, 1997
Preceded by: Oliver Tambo
Successor: Thabo Mbeki
Born: July 18, 1918
Kunu, near Umtata, Union of South Africa
Death: December 5, 2013 Johannesburg, South Africa
Spouse: 1. Evelyn 2. Winnie 3. Graça
Children: 2 sons and 3 daughters
Party: African National Congress
Nelson Rolilahla Mandela(spit Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela; July 18, 1918, Kuhnu, near Umtata - December 5, 2013, Johannesburg) - 8th President of South Africa (first black president) from May 10, 1994 to June 14, 1999, one of the most famous activists in struggle for human rights during the period of apartheid, for which he spent 27 years in prison. 1993 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.In South Africa Nelson Mandela also known as Madiba (one of the clan names of the Kosa people).
Early life and youth
Nelson Mandela comes from the younger branch of the clan of the Tembu dynasty (a sub-ethnic community of the Kos), ruling in the Transkei region of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Born in Mwezo, a small village near Umtata. On the maternal side, she has Khoisan roots. His paternal great-grandfather (died 1832) was the ruler of the Tembu. One of his sons, by the name of Mandela, later became Nelson's grandfather (his last name came from him). At the same time, despite the direct connection with representatives of the ruling dynasty, belonging to the younger branch of the clan did not give the descendants of Mandela the right to inherit the throne.
Nelson Mandela in 1937.
Father Mandela was the head of the village of Mwezo, however, after the cooling of relations with the colonial authorities, he was removed from his post and moved with his family to Kuna, however, retaining a place in the Privy Council of Tembu. Mandela's father had four wives, who gave birth to him thirteen children (four sons and nine daughters). Mandela was born of his third wife, Nkedama, and was named Holilala (translated from the language of the scythe scythe Rolihlahla - "plucking the branches of a tree" or colloquially "prankster"). Holilala Mandela became the first in the family to go to school. There, the teacher gave him an English name - "Nelson". According to Mandela's recollections, “On the first day of school, my teacher Miss Mdingane gave each of the students an English name. This was a tradition among Africans at the time and was no doubt driven by the British bias in our education. Miss Mdingane told me that day that my new name was Nelson. Why exactly it, I have no idea. "
At the age of nine, Mandela lost his father, who died of tuberculosis, and the regent of Jongintaba became his official guardian. In his youth he attended a Methodist elementary school located near the regent's palace. At the age of sixteen, according to the Tembu tradition, he underwent an initiation ceremony. Subsequently, he studied at the Clarkbury Boarding Institute, where in two years, instead of the prescribed three, he received a Junior Certificate. As heir to his father's seat in the Privy Council, in 1937 Mandela moved to Fort Beaufort, where he entered one of the Methodist colleges, which most of the members of the ruling Tembu dynasty graduated from. At the age of nineteen, he became interested in boxing and running.
After enrolling in Fort Hare University in 1939 (the only university in the country at that time, in which black residents and residents of Indian and mixed descent were eligible to study), Mandela began to study for a Bachelor of Arts. At university, he met Oliver Tambo, who became a lifelong friend and colleague. In addition, Mandela developed close friendships with his nephew Kaiser Matanzima, who was the son and heir of Jongintaba. However, after coming to power, Matanjima supported the Bantustans policy, which led to serious disagreements with Mandela... At the end of the first year of his studies, Mandela took part in a boycott organized by the Representative Council of Students against the policy of the university leadership. Refusing to take a seat on the Student Representative Council, despite an ultimatum from the leadership, and expressing his disagreement with the course of the elections, he decided to leave Fort Hare.
Shortly after leaving the University Mandela was informed by his regent about the upcoming wedding. Unhappy with this turn of events, in 1941, Mandela, along with his cousin, decided to flee to Johannesburg, where he got a job as a watchman at one of the local gold mines. After working there for a short time, he was fired from there by his boss, who learned of his escape from his guardian. After settling in the suburb of Johannesburg, Alexandra, Mandela nevertheless contacted his guardian, expressing regret about his behavior. Subsequently, he managed to obtain not only the consent of the guardian, but also financial assistance to continue his studies. Later, thanks to the help of his friend and mentor Walter Sisulu, whom he met in Johannesburg, Mandela got a job as a trainee clerk in one of the law firms. While at the firm, he earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of South Africa in 1942, after which he began studying law at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1943, where he met future anti-apartheid fighters Joe Word and Harry Schwartz ( in the government of Mandela, the Word will later take the post of Minister of Housing, and Schwartz will become the South African Ambassador to the United States).
Political activity
Nelson Mandela
Nonviolent resistance
Mandela studied in the Witwatersrand until 1948, but for a number of reasons he never received a law degree. At the same time, it was during this period of his life that Nelson came under the strong influence of liberal, radical and Africanist ideas. In 1943, for the first time, he took part in a mass action - protests against higher prices for travel on buses, and also began to attend meetings of young intellectuals held at the initiative of the leader of the African National Congress (ANC). The meeting was also attended by Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Anton Lembede and Ashley Mda. In April 1944, Mandela became a member of the ANC and, together with his like-minded people, took part in the creation of the Youth League, in which he became a member of the executive committee. The League's manifesto, which was based on the principles of African nationalism and self-determination, rejected any opportunity to participate in advisory councils and the Council of Indigenous Representatives. In general, the league took a more belligerent position towards the official authorities of the country than the leadership of the ANC, whose activities were repeatedly criticized from its side for connivance.
After the victory in the 1948 elections of the National Afrikaner Party, which supported the policy of apartheid, Mandela began to take an active part in the political life of the country. In 1948 he became the national secretary of the ANC Youth League, in 1949 - a member of the ANC National Council, in 1950 - the national president of the ANC Youth League. In 1952, Mandela became one of the organizers of the Defiance Campaign initiated by the ANC. At the same time, he developed the so-called "Plan M", which provided guidance on ANC activities underground in the event of a ban by the authorities. In 1955, he helped organize the People's Congress, which adopted the Freedom Charter, which outlined the basic principles for building a free and democratic society in South Africa. The Freedom Charter became the main policy document of the ANC and other political organizations in South Africa that fought against the apartheid regime. In 1952, Mandela and his fellow Oliver Tambo created the first black-run law firm, Mandela and Tambo, which provided free or low-cost legal aid to Africans.
Mahatma Gandhi had a significant influence on the views and methods of political struggle of Mandela (in January 2007 Mandela took part in an international conference in New Delhi, which celebrated the centenary of the introduction of Gandhi's ideas on non-violence to South Africa).
On December 5, 1956, Mandela and 150 others were arrested by the authorities on charges of high treason. The main point of the accusation was adherence to communism and preparations for the violent overthrow of the government. The trial, which lasted from 1956 to 1961, resulted in the acquittal of all the accused. Between 1952 and 1959, a new group of black activists dubbed "Africanists" broke with the African National Congress, demanding more decisive action against the National Party regime and opposing cooperation with the CCP and political organizations of other racial groups in the South African population. The ANC leadership, represented by Albert Lutuli, Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu, saw not only the rise in popularity of Africanists, but also saw them as a threat to their leadership. Subsequently, the ANC strengthened its position through cooperation with small political parties representing the interests of white, mixed and Indian populations, thus trying to enlist the support of a wider population than Africanists. Africanists, in turn, criticized the 1955 Kliptown Conference, which adopted the Freedom Charter, for the concessions that the 100,000 ANC made to get one vote in the Union of Congresses. The four secretaries general of its five member organizations were secretly members of the re-established South African Communist Party. In 2002, a biography of U. Sisulu was published, in which, according to Sisulu himself, it was indicated that he had been a member of the Communist Party since 1955, and since 1958 a member of its Central Committee. In 2003, the secretary general of the SACP confirmed that the secretary general of the ANC, Walter Sisulu, had secretly joined the SACP in 1955. Thus, all five general secretaries were members of the communist party.
There is ample evidence to indicate that Mandela was also a member of the South African Communist Party in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A number of prominent SAKP figures speak about this with certainty: Joe Matthews, Duma's widow Nokwe, Brian Bunting and some others. I.I. Filatova, in a biographical article on Mandela, points out that the facts support the opinion that Mandela was a communist and, moreover, was a member of the Central Committee of the SAKP. If this assumption is correct, then the entire original leadership of Umkonto we sizwe consisted of communists.
In 1959, Africanists, with financial support from Ghana and political assistance from Lesotho, formed the Pan Africanist Congress under the leadership of Robert Sobukwe and Potlako Leballo.
Armed struggle against the apartheid regime
Nelson Mandela
In 1961, Mandela headed the armed wing of the ANC, of which he was one of the organizers - "Umkonto we sizwe" (translated from the Zulu language - "spear of the nation"). As a result, he launched a policy of sabotage against the government and the military, allowing guerrilla warfare if it failed in the fight against the apartheid regime. In addition, Mandela managed to raise money abroad and organize non-military training for members of the wing.
ANC member Wolfe Kadesh explained the campaign's goals as follows: “… from December 16, 1961, we had to start blowing up symbolic apartheid sites such as passport offices, local magistrates' courts…, post offices and… government offices. But this had to be done in such a way that no one was hurt, no one was killed. " In the future, Mandela spoke of Wolfe as follows: "His knowledge of warfare and his direct combat experience were extremely useful to me."
According to Mandela, armed struggle was the last resort. Years of growing repression and violence from the state convinced him that the nonviolent struggle against the apartheid regime did not and could not bring the expected result.
Later, in the 1980s, Umkonto We Sizwe launched a large-scale guerrilla war against the apartheid government, in the course of which many civilians were injured. According to Mandela, the ANC also grossly violated human rights in its struggle against the apartheid regime. For this, he sharply criticized those in his party who tried to remove allegations of ANC violations in reports prepared by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Until July 2008, Mandela and members of the ANC were banned from entering the United States (with the exception of the right to visit the UN headquarters in New York) without the special permission of the US Secretary of State due to the fact that the party was classified as a terrorist organization by the former apartheid government of South Africa.
Arrest and trial
Nelson Mandela
On August 5, 1962, Mandela, on the run for seventeen months, was arrested by the authorities and imprisoned in Johannesburg. To a large extent, the success of the operation was made possible thanks to the help of the US CIA, which provided South African police with information about his alleged whereabouts. Three days later, Mandela was charged with organizing a workers' strike in 1961 and illegally crossing the state border. On October 25, 1962, he was sentenced to five years in prison.
On July 11, 1963, the South African police raided the Lilisfarm farm in the Johannesburg suburb of Rivonia. The result was the arrest of several prominent ANC leaders. The detainees were charged with four charges of organizing sabotage, for which the death penalty was carried out, as well as charges of committing crimes tantamount to high treason. In addition, they were charged with developing a plan for the introduction of foreign troops into South Africa (Mandela categorically rejected this point of accusations). Among the accusations that Mandela agreed with was cooperation with the ANC and the SAKP on the use of explosives to destroy water, electricity and gas facilities in South Africa.
During his speech at the trial on April 20, 1964, at the Supreme Court in Pretoria, Mandela laid out the main reasons for the ANC's use of violence as a tactical weapon. In his defense speech, he described how the ANC used peaceful means to fight the apartheid regime prior to the Sharpeville shooting. The holding of a referendum, which resulted in the creation of South Africa, and the introduction of a state of emergency in the country, along with the ban on the activities of the ANC, convinced Mandela and his supporters that acts of sabotage were the only sure way to fight for their rights. Other activities were tantamount to unconditional surrender. In addition, Mandela stated that the developed manifesto of the armed wing "Umkhonto we Sizwe" was aimed at the failure of the policy of the National Party. This goal should have been helped by a drop in the interest of foreign companies that would refuse to invest in the country's economy. At the end of his speech, Mandela said: “Throughout my life, I have completely devoted myself to the struggle for the African population. I have fought against both the domination of the "whites" and the domination of the "blacks". I honored the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all citizens live in harmony and have equal opportunities. This is the ideal for which I am ready to live and for which I strive. But if it is necessary, then for the sake of this ideal I am ready to die. "
All of the defendants, with the exception of Rusty Bernstein, were found guilty, but on June 12, 1964, their sentence was changed to life imprisonment.
Nelson Mandela
The period of imprisonment
The inner courtyard of the prison on Robben Island.
Mandela's cell at the Robben Island Prison.
Mandela served his sentence on Robben Island, near the Cape of Good Hope, from 1962 to 1990, where he spent the next eighteen of his twenty-seven years in prison. While imprisoned in a solitary confinement prison, Mandela gained worldwide fame. On the island, he and other prisoners were forced to work in a limestone quarry. All prisoners were segregated by skin color, with blacks receiving the smallest portions of food. Political prisoners were kept separate from ordinary criminals and enjoyed fewer privileges. As a D-group prisoner, Mandela recalled that he was entitled to one visit and one letter for six months. Incoming letters were often delayed or became unreadable due to the actions of the prison censors.
While imprisoned, Mandela studied at the University of London on a distance learning program and subsequently received a Bachelor of Laws degree. In 1981, he was promoted to the post of honorary rector of the university, but lost to Princess Anne.
In March 1982, Mandela, along with other ANC leaders (Walter Sisulu, Andrew Mlangeni, and others), was transferred to Polsmur prison. Presumably, the main reason for these actions was the desire of the authorities to shield the new generation of black activists serving their sentences on Robben Island from the influence of these leaders. Nevertheless, according to the chairman of the National Party Kobe Kotsi, the purpose of this step was to establish contacts between the convicts and the South African government.
In February 1985, South African President Peter Botha offered Mandela his release in exchange for "an unconditional renunciation of violence as a political weapon." Nevertheless, Kotsi and other ministers recommended Botha to abandon his proposal, since, in their opinion, Mandela would never give up armed struggle in exchange for personal freedom. Indeed, Mandela rejected the president's initiative, declaring through his daughter: “What other freedom is offered to me when the people's organization remains banned? Only free people can enter into negotiations. A prisoner cannot conclude contracts. "
In November 1985, the first meeting took place between Mandela and the National Party government when Cotsy visited a politician at Cape Town Hospital after prostate surgery. In the next four years, another series of meetings took place, during which the basis for future contacts and negotiation process was created. However, they did not lead to tangible results.
In 1988, Mandela was transferred to Victor-Verster prison, where he remained until his release. During this time, many restrictions were lifted, as a result of which Mandela's friends, including Harry Schwartz, who defended the interests of Mandela and his supporters during the Rivonian trial, were allowed to meet with him.
During Mandela's imprisonment, local and international media exerted significant pressure on the South African authorities, using the slogan "Free Nelson Mandela!" (translated from English - "Free Nelson Mandela!"). In 1989, Botha as President of South Africa after a heart attack was replaced by Frederick Willem de Klerk.
Nelson Mandela
Liberation and the negotiation process
After the last white president of South Africa, Frederick de Klerk, signed a decree to legalize the ANC and other movements against the apartheid regime, Mandela was released. This event took place and was broadcast live around the world on February 11, 1990.
Mandela and US President Bill Clinton in 1993.
On the day of his release, Mandela delivered a speech to the nation. He expressed interest in a peaceful settlement of differences with the white population of the country, but made it clear that the armed struggle of the ANC did not come to an end when he said: “Our appeal to the armed struggle in 1960, when the armed wing of the ANC was created, Umkonto we sizwe “Was a purely defensive move against violence by the apartheid regime. The factors that made the armed struggle necessary still exist. We have no choice but to continue what we started. We hope that soon a favorable climate will be created for resolving problems through negotiations, so that there is no longer a need for armed struggle. " In addition, Mandela said that his main goal remains to achieve peace for the black majority of the country and give him the right to vote in both national and local elections.
Soon after his release, Mandela returned to the post of leader of the ANC, and between 1990 and 1994 the party took part in the negotiation process for the abolition of the apartheid regime, which resulted in the holding of the first nationwide elections on a racial basis.
In 1991, the ANC held its first national conference after the ban on its activities in South Africa was lifted. On it, Mandela was elected president of the organization. In turn, Oliver Tambo, who led the ANC in exile during Mandela's imprisonment, became the national chairman.
In 1993, Mandela and de Klerk were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together. Despite this, relations between politicians were often tense, especially after a sharp exchange of statements in 1991, when Mandela called de Klerk the head of an "illegal, discredited minority regime." In June 1992, after the Boypatong massacre, the ANC-initiated negotiations were interrupted, and Mandela accused the South African government of the killings. However, after another massacre, but already in Bisho, which took place in September 1992, the negotiation process was resumed.
Soon after the assassination of ANC leader Chris Hani in April 1993, fears arose in the public about a new wave of violence in the country. Following this event, Mandela called on the nation to remain calm. Despite the fact that several riots followed the assassination, negotiations continued and, as a result, an agreement was reached, according to which democratic elections were scheduled in the country on April 27, 1994.
Nelson Mandela
Presidency
In the April 1994 parliamentary elections, the ANC won 62% of the votes. On May 10, 1994, Mandela, who led the ANC, officially took office as President of South Africa, the country's first black resident in this post. The leader of the National Party, de Klerk, was appointed first deputy president, and Thabo Mbeki, second deputy in the government of national unity. As President of South Africa from May 1994 to June 1999, Mandela has achieved international recognition for his contributions to national and international reconciliation.
During his tenure, Mandela undertook a number of important socio-economic reforms aimed at overcoming social and economic inequality in South Africa. Among the key measures during his presidency are:
the introduction in 1994 of free health care for all children under the age of six and for pregnant and lactating women using public health facilities;
the launch of the so-called "Reconstruction and Development Program" aimed at financing social services (such sectors as housing and public utilities and healthcare);
an increase in spending on state benefits by 13% by 1996/1997, by 13% by 1997/1998, by 7% by 1998/1999;
the introduction of equality in the payment of benefits (including disability benefits, parental capital and pensions) regardless of race;
the introduction of a cash allowance for the maintenance of children of black residents in rural areas;
a significant increase in spending on education (by 25% in 1996/1997, 7% in 1997/1998 and 4% in 1998/1999);
the enactment of the Land Return Law in 1994, according to which persons deprived of their property as a result of the 1913 Indigenous Lands Law had the right to demand the return of land;
the 1996 Land Reform Act, which protected the rights of land tenants who lived and engaged in farming on farms. According to this law, tenants could not be deprived of their land property without a court decision and upon reaching 65 years of age;
the introduction in 1998 of child support grants to combat child poverty;
the adoption in 1998 of the Law on Professional Development, which established the mechanism for financing and implementing measures to improve skills in the workplace;
the adoption in 1995 of the Labor Relations Act, which regulated the issues of labor relations in enterprises, including the ways of resolving labor disputes;
the adoption in 1997 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act to protect workers' rights;
the adoption in 1998 of the Employment Equality Act, which abolished discrimination on the basis of race in employment;
connection of more than 3 million residents to telephone networks;
reconstruction and construction of 500 clinics;
connection of more than 2 million inhabitants to electric grids;
construction of more than 750 thousand houses, in which 3 million people settled;
ensuring access to water for 3 million inhabitants;
the introduction of compulsory education for African children aged 6-14;
providing free meals for 3.5-5 million schoolchildren;
the adoption in 1996 of the Mine Health and Safety Act, which improved working conditions for miners;
the beginning of the implementation in 1996 of the National Policy on the Provision of Medicines, which made it easier for the population to access essential medicines.
After retiring
Honorary member of over 50 international universities.
Delphic Ambassador of the International Delphic Council, established in 1994 to host the International Delphic Games.
After leaving the presidency of South Africa in 1999, Mandela began to actively call for more comprehensive coverage of HIV and AIDS. Experts estimate that South Africa now has about five million people living with HIV and AIDS, more than any other country. Until the end of his life, he remained one of the oldest politicians of the twentieth century living on the planet.
When McGahoe, the youngest son of Nelson Mandela, died of AIDS, Mandela urged to fight the spread of this deadly disease.
Death
Main article: Death and funeral of Nelson Mandela
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Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela died on December 5, 2013 at the age of 96 in his home in the Johannesburg suburb of Houghton Estate with his family. The death of Mandela was announced by the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma. Zuma stated: “He quietly left at about 8.50 pm on 5 December in the presence of relatives. Our nation has lost a great son. "
The funeral will take place in his hometown of Kunu on December 15, 2013.
Nelson Mandela
He was married three times:
First marriage (1944-1958) to Evelyn Mandela (1922-2004). Four children - sons: Madiba Tembekile Mandela (1945-1969; died in a car accident; the authorities did not allow N. Mandela, who was then in prison, to attend the funeral of his son), Magkakho Levanik Mandela (1950-2005); daughters: Makaziva Mandela (died in 1948 at the age of 9 months); Pumla Makaziva Mandela (b. 1954);
Second marriage (1958-1996) with Vinnie Mandela (b. 1936). Two daughters: Zenani Dlamini (b. 1959); Zinji Mandela (b. 1960);
Third marriage (1998-2013) with Graça Machel (b. 1945);
He has 17 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Mandela Zenani's great-granddaughter (1997-2010) died in a car accident after a concert marking the opening of the World Cup in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela
Postage stamp of the USSR, 1988.
Nelson Mandela has received over 20 awards:
Mapungubwe Order in Platinum (1st degree; South Africa, 2002),
Order of Friendship (Russia, 1995),
Order of Playa Giron (Cuba, 1984),
Star of Friendship of Peoples (GDR, 1984),
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1993),
Order of Merit (UK, 1995),
Knight Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali (Mali, 1996),
Chain of the Order of the Nile (Egypt, 1997),
Gold Medal of the United States Congress (1997),
Companion of the Order of Canada (1998)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olaf (Norway, 1998),
Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st degree (Ukraine, July 3, 1998),
Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (1999),
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Golden Lion, House of Orange (Netherlands, 1999),
Honorary Citizen of Canada (2000),
Presidential Medal of Freedom (USA, 2002),
Balyi, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Great Britain),
Chevalier of the Order of the Elephant (Denmark),
Bharat Ratna Order (India),
Order "Stara Planina" (Bulgaria),
Order of the Aztec Eagle (Mexico, 2010),
Queen Elizabeth II Gold Jubilee Medal (Canada)
International Lenin Peace Prize (1990).
Manhae International Award (Republic of Korea) 2012 http://www.theasian.asia/archives/62742
In culture
Monument to Nelson Mandela in London
In honor of Mandela, the English group The Specials A.K.A. recorded the song "Nelson Mandela".
The Nelson Mandela Bay borough (which also houses the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium) and the Uganda National Stadium are named after Mandela.
In Cape Town, a street is named after Mandela.
In Maputo, Mozambique, a street is named after Mandela.
In the center of London there is a monument to Nelson Mandela.
In 1988, a postage stamp of the USSR was issued, dedicated to Mandela.
Dove of peace with a bloody beak
As for white people there is no one holier than Mother Teresa, so for black people there is no one more respected and sinless than. This old man, who died recently at the age of 94, is for us, people raised to hate the horrors of apartheid, something like a modern martyr. So fair-faced, whitened with gray hair fighter for human rights who paid for their convictions for years in a torture chamber.
Nobel laureate whose apt expressions become the headlines of books about the struggle of black brothers for equality - an unquestionable authority. In general, the 20th century gave us a lot of indisputable authorities - people about whom you cannot say a bad word, because no bad has been noticed behind them. However, Nelson Mandela is a living example of a living myth, cobbled together from improvised means, at random, for a blunder, and put on public display, for the amusement of the crowd accustomed to fooling. Admire the hero!
First you need to understand - what did Nelson fight so fiercely?
He fought with the white "enslavers", with the Boers. Where did these monsters come from on the black continent? Ancestors of modern Boers (from the Dutch boeren- "peasant") arrived on the continent in the 16th century, and launched a vigorous activity on the fertile lands of Africa. They were engaged in animal husbandry, landscaping. At the same time, mind you, the lands on which the settlers settled were not busy indigenous population. On the contrary, local residents in the 16th and 20th centuries themselves crawled towards the settlements of Europeans. hoping to earn.
There was no apartheid in Angola, just as Zimbabwe, together with Mozambique, were free from the dominance of the "enslavers". However, the inhabitants of these free countries strove to the lair of the white beast, while the inhabitants were in no hurry to flee to the north, to where the black brothers cut and burned each other. During their reign, apartheid monsters did not think of killing migrants. But in 2008, the free population of a free republic opposed their own Africans with sticks and stones, destroying more than a dozen of those who dared to come to a country free of whites. In the same 2008, the free leadership of South Africa brought in troops that, without the slightest hesitation, shot those who killed the newcomers. In short, like in that movie - everyone died. Such is a good story.
In recent years, in the country in the most brutal way over 3,000 peaceful white farmers were killed, tens of thousands were expelled from their lands. True, the black brothers are not particularly in a hurry to work on these liberated lands, but we will return to the issue of the working capacity of the indigenous population.
In 1963, our hero landed on a bunk.
He got it to the fullest - life imprisonment... By the way, for some reason the inhuman regime didn’t shoot the fiery fighter, but kept and fed him for 26 long years in a prison on Robben Island. Nelson lived there in very comfortable conditions, and ... continued to lead the actions of the militants who killed the Boers with their families, along with their children, so that "there is no trace of whites left"... I repeat - despite the actions of the terrorists, the cruel white monsters did not shoot Mandella, did not bury him alive, and did not burn him at the stake. They put him in prison, kindly giving him the opportunity to write works, meet with his wife weekly and fight the regime at a distance. Beasts, what to say!
About the conditions of detention on the island, not only our hero does not like to speak, but also his numerous biographers. I came across a statement by an American researcher that the black dove of peace in prison was not treated very well. The conclusion was made on the basis that Mandela ... was not allowed to attend the funeral of his son, who died in a car accident! Can you imagine? In life sentences, of course, relatives are allowed to go to funerals. They give instructions to the path - "you already come back, dear," and wave after them with a handkerchief.
Somehow it falls out of sight of biographers and criminal article, on which Mandela landed on the bunk. They write - "for organizing sabotage to the authorities." No, dear ones, you will clarify. There was no such article in South Africa. In order to understand some of the nuances that exclude the options of life imprisonment for "sabotage", you need to understand why the white people lost the "war" in South Africa. The fact is that the Boers were brought up in deep respect for the law, therefore they did not go to adequate bloody black steps. White South Africans have never violated the law in the fight against murderers who exterminated innocent farmers in exotic enough ways. Therefore, the tales about the accusation of old Nelson in vague "sabotage" are nothing more than fairy tales.
Tried him for a specific sadistic murder.
During the apartheid era, the black population developed an entertainment called "Make white black" or "necklace". A resident of South Africa with a white skin color was caught right on the street. He was dragged into the slums and tied up. Then they pulled a tire around the neck of the unfortunate victim, inside which they poured gasoline, and set it on fire. Monstrous torment, experienced by the killed, and his inhuman screams caused cheerful laughter and smiles from the "fighters against the regime." At one of these burnings, they took hands under the blackening.
Then the USSR, who urgently needed African heroes with common nouns, began fan the myth of the great fighter, pure as a dove of peace, and gentle, like the gentle touch of the spring breeze. The accusation of sadistic murder was "lost", but the accusation of alleged "sabotage" came to the fore.
In her memoirs, the first wife of an unyielding fighter against apartheid described her husband as "Cruel, vile, devoid of human principles"... Mandela's second wife deserves special attention Winnie who regularly visited him in the dungeon. One of the most widely circulated memories of the spouse of a dove of peace left me perplexed. I quote verbatim: "Once, suffering from loneliness, Winnie caught two ants and played with them until the insects escaped"... Cry, laugh. Probably, according to the idea of those who replicated this, this incredibly important episode of a woman's life should arouse tears of emotion and sympathy from her readers for her difficult fate.
Today is Nelson Mandela International Day. On December 27, 2012, Nelson Mandela was discharged from Johannesburg Hospital, where he spent about three weeks. Mandela was hospitalized in early December for medical examinations. During hospitalization, Nelson Mandela was diagnosed with a relapse of a pulmonary infection, and gallstones were also removed by surgery, Agence France-Presse reported at the time.
Great Mandela passed away
Recently, the name of Nelson Mandela has been mentioned, most often, in a medical context, which is not surprising - the legendary black fighter against apartheid in South Africa is already 94 years old. And life was not always favorable to him. The hardships of the political struggle for human ideals tempered Mandela, his path was very thorny.
The birth of a leader
Nelson Mandela is known around the world as the first black president of the Republic of South Africa, an implacable fighter for black rights and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
He was born in July 1918 in one of the provinces of South Africa, in a family of the Kosa ethnic group, noble by local standards. At birth, the boy was given the name Holilala, which in the local language means "the one who picks off the branches of the tree." His father had a very large family - 4 wives, who bore him 13 children, Nelson Mandela was born from his third wife, Nkedama. The name "Nelson" was given to him by a school teacher - the influence of Great Britain in South Africa at that time was very great.
Nelson attended the Methodist School, at the Clarkbury Boarding Institute, after which he received a certificate of lower secondary education. In the late 1930s, Nelson Mandela moved to Fort Beaufort, where he attended Methodist College. In 1939 he enrolled at Fort Hare University, one of the few institutions of higher education in the country where black people could study.
Nelson Mandela's still timid attempts to enter the path of political struggle date back to this time. While studying at Fort Hare, he participates in a student boycott, which was organized against the leadership of the educational institution. Disagreeing later with the course of elections to the student representative council of the university, he leaves it and then leaves for Johannesburg, where he works in a gold mine. Later, using the financial assistance of his guardian, he continues his studies and later gets a job as a clerk in one of the legal firms in Johannesburg. While working for the firm, Mandela received a bachelor of arts degree from a university in South Africa by correspondence in 1942, and from 1943 he began studying law at the University of the Witwatersrand where he met some of his future partners in political struggle.
Political activities of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela's active political activities began in 1944, when he joined the ranks of the African National Congress, his Youth League. Since then, he has become an implacable fighter for the rights of blacks in South Africa, against the policy of apartheid, which was pursued by the ruling National Party in the country.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Nelson Mandela was repeatedly subjected to political harassment and arrest. In 1960, after the riots in Sharpeville, when 67 people were killed by the police during a demonstration initiated by the Congress (according to other sources - 69), the ANC was banned, and Mandela was forced to become illegal. The following year, the ANC military wing was formed, which was headed by Nelson Mandela. It was engaged in various sabotage against the authorities. The purpose of their activities was to sabotage the actions of the authorities, but a prerequisite was the refusal of direct violence against people. At the beginning of his political activity, Mandela was guided by the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, which provided for non-resistance to evil by violence.
In 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested, two years later - sentenced to a long prison term. In total, Mandela spent a total of 27 years in prison, the first 18 of which he was imprisoned on Robben Island, near the Cape of Good Hope. While serving his sentence there, he studied in absentia at the University of London and later received a Bachelor of Laws degree.
In 1982, Mandela is transferred to Polsmur Prison. Three years later, in 1985, then South African President Peter Botha offered Mandela freedom in exchange for refusing to engage in political activity, to which Nelson Mandela refused.
During the entire period of Nelson Mandela's imprisonment, various international organizations did not abandon their attempts to influence the South African authorities in order to release Mandela. He was released only in 1990, after President Frederick de Klerk signed a decree authorizing the legalization of the ANC, as well as other political organizations fighting against the apartheid regime.
After his release, Mandela became head of the ANC, and in 1993, together with de Klerk, he became the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In 1994, parliamentary elections were held in South Africa, in which the ANC was supported by 62% of voters. Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. He held this post until 1999. Nelson Mandela has earned respect throughout the world for his stubborn, sustained and relentless struggle for the rights of blacks. During the years of Mandela's presidency, significant funds were allocated for the fight against poverty, for education, medicine and solving the economic problems of the indigenous people of South Africa.
After 1999, Nelson Mandela took part in various actions aimed at the fight against AIDS. In 2009, the UN General Assembly declared February 18 International Mandela Day, thereby recognizing his invaluable contribution to the struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights.
Undoubtedly, the contribution of Nelson Mandela to the democratization of life in South Africa, and throughout the world, can hardly be overestimated. But what is life like in South Africa now, more than a decade after Mandela's presidency?
South Africa after Mandela is far from his ideals?
With regret we have to admit that the ideas of Nelson Mandela now sometimes turn into their opposite. So, in early 2012, a lawsuit was filed at the International Court of Justice in The Hague from representatives of the white population of South Africa, the so-called Afrikaner Boers, against the ruling ANC party in the country, which unleashed "apartheid on the contrary" there - numerous facts of infringement of the rights of the white population of the country in favor of the Negro ... Over the past 18 years, about 1 million white-skinned people were forced to leave the country, tens of thousands of people were killed. It is not customary to talk about such facts for reasons of the so-called international political correctness, which emphasizes the infringement of the rights of blacks, but silence only exacerbates the problems.
A significant part of the South African population still lives in the absence of sewerage and electricity, about 40% live below the poverty line. HIV and AIDS in South Africa is in the majority of the population. Crime and corruption rates are also very high.