Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Quotes

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

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After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.  

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There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.

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   That was one of the things that worried me - to be raised to the position of a semi-god - because then you are no longer a human being. I wanted to be known as Mandela, a man with weaknesses, some of which are fundamental, and a man who is committed, but never the less, sometimes he fails to live up to expectations

   I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended. 

Nelson Mandela  Bio

  

Nelson Mandela was born on july 18th 1918 in a small South African village to a local chief and his third wife. He was the first person in his family to receive a western education, and was inspired to study law after witnessing the democracy of African tribal governance. Mandela became a sought after lawyer in Johannesburg, defending black South Africans against the government's increasingly unfair treatment, and a key figure of the African National Congress, a political party that sought to unite all Africans and regain their rights and freedom. He participated in boycotts, organized protests, mobilized his people and in turn was labeled an enemy of the state: accused of treason, banned from political involvement, disbarred, and sentenced to life in prison. Mandela's incarceration brought international attention to the racial injustices of South Africa's apartheid government sparking the rally cry "Free Nelson Mandela" worldwide.

Mandela served 27 years in prison before his release in 1990 at the age of 72 and was elected the first black President of South Africa in 1994. Although he retired from political life in 1999, Mandela continues to lend his voice towards issues that affect his country and the world at large, such as the AIDS epidemic, poverty, and human rights. He was also instrumental in securing South Africa as the host of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
Nelson Mandela is one of the world's greatest and most admired political leaders and has been honored with numerous awards including the Nobel Peace Prize for he is a shining example of the incredible strength of the human spirit to persevere in the face of adversity for the pursuit of freedom.

The Story of the Hidden Gun 
 

   Mr Nelson Mandela has identified the person in a picture found by chance – recalling a tale of a hidden gun.

  “I prevailed upon a fellow named Bikitsha, whom I knew from home, to help me carry a suitcase to the front gate [of Crown Mines]. A watchman at the gate stopped us both and said he needed to search the bag. Bikitsha protested, asserting that there was no contraband in the suitcase. As the watchman was closing it, Bikitsha, who was a cocky fellow, said, ‘Why do you make trouble? I told you there was nothing there.The watchman then decided to search the case with a second time at the bottom of the case he found the very thing I prayed he would not: a loaded revolver wrapped inside some of my clothing. He turned to my friend and said, ‘You are under arrest.The gun, an old revolver, had been my father’s and he had left it to me when he died. I had never used it, but as a precaution, I had brought it with me to the city.

  In the late 1970s or early 1980s, South African historian Prof Charles van Onselen was browsing second-hand books in a Johannesburg bookshop. He came across a copy of Eddie Roux’s book Time Longer Than Rope: The Black Man’s Struggle for Freedom in South Africa. The book was banned in South Africa at the time. Van Onselen bought the book and took it home. To his amazement, out dropped a picture of two young men – one of whom he immediately recognised as Robben Islander Nelson Mandela. The probable date of the picture is 1941.