Who was Nelson Mandela? Everything You Need to Know

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• Ever since a young age, he was actively involved in anti-colonial politics, which led to his joining the ANC. The admittance was a historic one not only in the life of Mandela but that of every countryman of South Africa, as it eventually led to a discrimination-free country. Inspired by Gandhi and committed to non-violent struggle, Mandela however moved to armed struggle after a phase of time.

• In his 67 years long political career, Mandela led numerous movements and was arrested, convicted, and imprisoned various times, the longest being the 27 years of life imprisonment. However, all the pain was worth it as the year 1994 marked the end of apartheid and the holding of multi-racial elections.

• He was a polygamist with four wives and thirteen children, including four boys and nine girls.

• t was here that his interest in African history grew tremendously.

• n 1947, Mandela was appointed the position of Secretary at the ANCYL. The organization was aimed at letting off the old tactics of political petitioning and employing new methods of boycott, strike, civil disobedience, and non-cooperation, with policy goals of full citizenship, redistribution of land, trade union rights, and free and compulsory education for all children.

• He introduced new reforms in economic policy to encourage land reform, combat poverty and expand healthcare services. On the international platform, Mandela served as the mediator for Libya and the United Kingdom and oversaw military intervention in Lesotho. After his successful first term, Mandela declined to contest for the second term and retired from active politics. However, he continued to remain active on the social front as he raised funds for building schools and healthcare centers in the rural parts of South Africa. He founded the Mandela Foundation and served as a mediator in the Burundi civil war.