Nelson Mandela the "Madiba"
Source

Goodday friends and fellow contestant at @SteemAlive. It's day 3 of the contest and I am presenting to you Nelson Mandela passionately called "Madiba" by his people. I promise you i'll find this article interesting.

Introduction

As we had previously acknowledged, that a genius can change the cause of time or history, by their ingenious activities, the same is true of this man Nelson Mandela. He is been revered by his people as a god, a liberator, a freedom fighter but I call him the benevolent freedom fighter.

His history will inspire you. It will elevate you mind set to a higher perspective on how one can deal or solve problems without violence.

More to his accolades are books, awards, films and quotes. When I was younger I saw a movie about him called "Sarafina". And lately more movies have made about him. The problem encountered by the movie directors is that they have not been able to get a character that best fits his personality. So the experiment continues. Why do the continue the experiments, it's because they want his legacy and achievements to be immortalized.

History

Nelson Mandela was the first Black president of South Africa, elected after time in prison for his anti-apartheid work. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Who Was Nelson Mandela?

Nelson Mandela was a social rights activist, politician and philanthropist who became South Africa’s first Black president from 1994 to 1999. After becoming 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, nonviolent defiance against the South African government and its racist policies.

Beginning in 1962, Mandela spent 27 years in prison for political offenses. 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. For generations to come, Mandela will be a source of inspiration for civil rights activists worldwide.

Early Life

Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in the tiny village of Mvezo, on the banks of the Mbashe River in Transkei, South Africa.

His birth name was Rolihlahla Mandela. "Rolihlahla" in the Xhosa language literally means "pulling the branch of a tree," but more commonly translates as "troublemaker."

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.

Education

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.

Mandela took classes in a one-room school next to the palace, studying English, Xhosa, history and geography.

In 1939, Mandela enrolled at the University of Fort Hare, the only residential center of higher learning for Black people in South Africa at the time. Fort Hare was considered Africa's equivalent of Harvard, drawing scholars from all parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

In his first year at the university, Mandela took the required courses, but focused on Roman-Dutch law to prepare for a career in civil service as an interpreter or clerk — regarded as the best profession that a Black man could obtain at the time.

Anti-Apartheid Movement

Mandela soon became actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement, joining the African National Congress in 1942. Within the ANC, a small group of young Africans banded together, calling themselves the African National Congress Youth League. Their goal was to transform the ANC into a mass grassroots movement, deriving strength from millions of rural peasants and working people who had no voice under the current regime.

For 20 years, Mandela directed peaceful, nonviolent acts of defiance against the South African government and its racist policies, including the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People. He founded the law firm Mandela and Tambo, partnering with Oliver Tambo, a brilliant student he'd met while attending Fort Hare. The law firm provided free and low-cost legal counsel to unrepresented Black people.

Wife and Children

Mandela was married three times and had six children. He wed his first wife, Evelyn Ntoko Mase, in 1944. The couple had four children together: Madiba Thembekile (d. 1964), Makgatho (d. 2005), Makaziwe (d. 1948 at nine months old) and Maki. The couple divorced in 1957.

In 1958, Mandela wed Winnie Madikizela. The couple had two daughters together, Zenani (Argentina's South African ambassador) and Zindziswa (the South African ambassador to Denmark), before separating in 1996.

Prison Years

Formerly committed to nonviolent protest, Mandela began to believe that armed struggle was the only way to achieve change. In 1961, Mandela co-founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, also known as MK, an armed offshoot of the ANC dedicated to sabotage and use guerilla war tactics to end apartheid.

Mandela spent 27 years in prison, from November 1962 until February 1990. He was incarcerated on Robben Island for 18 of his 27 years in prison. During this time, he contracted tuberculosis and, as a Black political prisoner, received the lowest level of treatment from prison workers. However, while incarcerated, Mandela was able to earn a Bachelor of Law degree through a University of London correspondence program.

Achievement

In 1993, Mandela and President de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work toward dismantling apartheid in South Africa.

On April 27, 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections. Mandela was inaugurated as the country's first Black president on May 10, 1994, at the age of 77, with de Klerk as his first deputy.

Death

On 5 December 2013, Nelson Mandela, the first President of South Africa to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, as well as the country's first black head of state, died at the age of 95 after suffering from a prolonged respiratory infection. He died at around 20:50 local time (UTC+2) at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, surrounded by family. His death was announced by then President Jacob Zuma on national television at 23:45.Reactions from governments, international organizations, and notable individuals, gained worldwide media coverage.

Why I Chose Nelson Mandela

I chose him for the following reasons:

•His coming from a low and humble background did not deter him to success.

• His political activism was non-violent.

• He believed in a peaceful coexistence of black and white.

• He was not a power-monger.

• He was an optimist.

• He was a philanthropist.

• He was fearless.

• He was determined to achieve freedom for his people.

• His self sacrificing spirit.

Conclusion

Nelson Mandela is not only a genius, he is a role model, a peacemaker and a great orator. Everyone wanted to meet him,
have an autograph, or a picture with him.

The list of prominent people who wanted audience and photograph with him is mind boggling. It includes former PLO leader Yasser Arafat, musician/singer Beyonce knowles, Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, President Clinton, Popes, Military Generals. The list on and on.Thank you

Sources:(www.https://biography.com/.amp/political-figure/nelson-mandela)
(Wikipedia)

Cc:
@stephenkendal
@steemitblog
@focusnow