Nelson Rolihlahla (Madiba) Mandela
 Nelson
Rolihlahla (Madiba) Mandela is an amazing man who changed history in
South Africa and brought democracy to the nation. Nelson Mandela was
born on 18 July 1918 at Qunu, near Umtata in South Africa. His father
was the Chief Councillor to the Superior Chief of the Thembu. As a young
boy, he was being prepared to take over as the Chief of the Thembu.
With the death of his father in 1930, he was placed under the care of
his guardian and cousin, David Dalindyebo, the acting Chief of the
Thembu.
While at home, a prepared marriage was being set up for
him. To avoid getting married, Mandela and his cousin Justice moved to
Johannesburg where he worked temporarily as a night watchman as he
wanted to be a lawyer.In Johannesburg, Mandela met Walter Sisulu who
assisted him in finding employment as articled clerk with a legal firm.
When he completed his BA degree by correspondence in 1941, Mandela
enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand for an LLB.
The ANC (African National Congress)
Together
with Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela helped in founding
the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in 1944. By 1948 he
was holding the position of National Secretary. In 1949 the African
National Congress (ANC) supported the 'Programme of Action' handed in at
their annual conference. The more radical members such as Mandela and
Sisulu were elected to the program.
Mandela and Sisulu did not
trust other racial groups, but Mandela’s views changed during the 1952
Defiance Campaign. Mandela was made the National 'Volunteer-in-chief' of
the Defiance Campaign. As part of his duties he moved around South
Africa signing up volunteers who were prepared to break apartheid laws.
As their first sign of defiance against Apartheid, Mandela and 51
volunteers started breaking the curfew rules.In December 1952, Mandela
and Oliver Tambo opened the first Black legal partnership in the
country. In the same month, Mandela and some other activists were
charted under the Suppression of Communism Act. Mandela was sentenced to
nine months' imprisonment with hard labour, suspended for two years.
Over
a period of nine years he was put under banning orders. In this time he
was also made the Deputy National President of the ANC. Even though he
was not allowed to attend the meetings of the ANC, he worked with small
groups of the ANC members. Nelson Mandela played a major role in the
constructing of the 'M Plan' (named after him). The plan formulated the
grouping of ANC members to cope with underground activity. Renewed bans
made it imperative for Madiba to resign from the ANC in September 1953.
From that point Madiba had to lead secretly, except during the year of
the Treason Trial.In December 1956 Mandela and 155 political activists
were arrested and charged with High Treason. Almost five years later,
Justice Rumpff found all of the accused not guilty. In the late 1950s
Mandela became National President of the ANC Youth League. By 1959 the
treason trial was still in progress. In the same year, the ANC planned
an anti-pass laws campaign. The campaign was displaced when the Pan
Africanist Congress (PAC), arranged mass anti-pass protests on 21 March
1960.
During one of the protests, the Sharpeville massacre
occurred. This resulted with the banning of the ANC and the PAC and the
government declared a state of emergency. During the time period of the
emergency up 1 800 political activists, including Mandela, were
imprisoned without charge or trial.In March 1961 an All-In Africa
Conference was held in Pietermaritzburg. Various political groups came
together. The banning order on Mandela expired on the eve of the
conference, allowing him to make a surprise appearance. Subsequently he
was placed as the Honorary Secretary of the All-In National Action
Council. Mandela and the Council decided to arrange demonstrations
against the proclamation of South Africa as a Republic on 31 May.
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