Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela: 1918 - 2013

[umbertino]

by: Emile Schepers

December 5 2013

 

 

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 in Mvezo, South Africa, into a branch of the royal family of the Tembu people. The name Rolihlahla means "stirring up trouble"; the name Nelson was given to him by a mission school teacher. In South Africa, Mandela was universally known by his clan name, Madiba.

Mandela spent an idyllic childhood first at his mother's ancestral household at Qunu, and later at the court of Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo, his kinsman and regent for the Tembu king. Jongintaba assured Mandela's enrollment in Fort Hare University in the Eastern Cape. But when the young man caught wind of a political marriage Jongintaba was arranging for him, he fled to Johannesburg, where he briefly worked as a watchman. Later, he was signed on as aclerk in a white law firm.

In Johannesburg, Mandela made contact with leaders of South Africa's freedom movement including the African National Congress and the Communist Party. His law studies were frequently interrupted by growing involvement in the struggle against the racial injustice.

Mandela originally thought the Communist Party overemphasized class versus racial oppression. In 1944, he and Anton Lembede founded the African National Congress Youth League, which pushed its parent organization toward both a more militant and a more Africanist program. Subsequently, Mandela rose to top leadership in the ANC.

In the elections of 1948, the United Party of Prime Minister Jan Smuts was defeated by a fascist and racist coalition headed by Dr. Daniel Malan. Malan's National Party government took existing racism to a new extreme, introducing the apartheid (apartness) legal framework which eventually turned South Africa into a pariah state. Mandela and the African National Congress began to advocate strikes, direct action and civil disobedience, while at the same time Mandela rethought his willingness to work through multiracial united fronts and with communists.

In 1950, Parliament passed the Suppression of Communism Act, followed by the Public Safety Act in 1953. Police now had legal mechanisms to classify people as "statutory communists", jail them for their associations, and ban them from writing and speaking to the public. The Communist Party and the ANC were declared illegal. Mandela was arrested in 1952 and prosecuted for communism along with others. He was given a suspended sentence and a 6 month ban from political activity. He also opened a Johannesburg law firm specializing in social justice cases, in partnership with ANC leader Oliver Tambo in 1953.

In 1955, the ANC initiated the Congress of the People, a gathering of 3000 in Kliptown, near Johannesburg. It brought together the ANC, the South African Indian Congress, the Coloured People's Congress, the Congress of Democrats and the South African Congress of Trade Unions, and produced the Freedom Charter/ which laid out the vision of a multiracial and democratic South Africa and in which the first steps toward socialism could be discerned.

The government reacted by increasing repression. Mandela and many other leading ANC figures were arrested for "high treason". In 1961, all defendants were acquitted.

But tensions were heating up as the ANC and also the nationalist Pan African Congress (PAC) campaigned to end the law requiring all Africans to carry government passes which had to be presented to police on demand. In 1960, police fired on a PAC organized anti-pass demonstration at Sharpeville, killing 69 unarmed people. Mandela hastened to reorganize the ANC with a clandestine component to better resist repression. At this point Mandela, working closely with the Communist Party, formed an armed resistance group called Umkhonto we Sizwe, Spear of the Nation or MK. MK bombed a number of symbolic targets while trying to avoid civilian casualties. Mandela toured Africa rounding up support for the new phase of the struggle.

But Mandela was captured, many believe with CIA help, while traveling in 1962, and sentenced to five years imprisonment. Then in July 1963, police raided Liliesleaf Farm outside Johannesburg and not only rounded up a number of activists but also found documents on MK. The resulting "Rivonia" trial, for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government by violence, led to life sentences for Mandela and others.

The longest part of the sentence was served doing hard labor on chilly, windswept Robben Island off the coast of Capetown. Conditions led to Mandela contracting a tuberculosis infection which left him with damaged lungs for the rest of his life. Mandela quickly established leadership over the heterogeneous group of political prisoners, organizing study groups and general, vocational and political education classes.

Meanwhile Mandela's family, back on the mainland, were undergoing great trials. He had divorced his first wife, Evelyn Ntoko Mase, in 1958, and married social worker Winnie Madikezela shortly thereafter.

The struggle in South Africa intensified, especially with the Soweto Rebellion of 1976. The "Free Mandela" campaign took off, stimulated by the journalism of Soweto journalist Percy Qoboza. More prisoners were sent to Robben Island, and Mandela took them under his wing also.

Eventually, the regime, pressured from inside and out, offered release to Mandela if he would renounce violence and split with his communist allies, but he refused these arrangements as dishonorable. Mandela was transferred from Robben Island to Pollsmoor Prison in Capetown, and in 1988, after a bout with tuberculosis, he was transferred again to Victor Verster prison near Paarl.

In 1989, the new president, F.W.de Klerk came to the conclusion that the apartheid system could not be sustained. In 1990, de Klerk released Mandela and other remaining prisoners, and legalized the ANC, the Communist Party and all other banned groups.

Receiving a rapturous reception from the people, Mandela set to work organizing an international campaign aimed at ending the entire apartheid system. In 1991, Mandela was elected president of the ANC in succession to Oliver Tambo.

But violence continued, with bloody confrontations in Kwazulu-Natal and elsewhere between ANC members and members of the Inkatha organization headed by Zulu leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Mandela's relations with de Klerk deteriorated, partly because a government sponsored "third force" was inciting the conflicts. Talks between the ANC and the government in 1991 and 1992 took on a sharply combative tone. In 1993, Mandela and de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1994, South Africa's first ever democratic, non-racial general election was held, with Mandela as the ANC presidential candidate. Mandela and the ANC triumphed with 62 percent of the vote.

Mandela served as president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. His main concerns were to destroy the institutions of apartheid and racial justice, to calm interracial tensions, and to improve the living standards of the mass of his people. In this, he scored notable successes in electrification, housing, labor rights and health care. Of special note is his Truth and Reconciliation Commission, chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and designed to create closure on the crimes of the apartheid period.

However, Mandela's liberation and election to the presidency came right after the collapse of Soviet and Eastern European socialism. He did not move toward the more radical goals enshrined in the Freedom Charter, such as the nationalization of the mines, the banks and monopolistic industries. Mandela and his advisors felt that international monopoly capital was in too strong a position worldwide for such things to be feasible, and rather turned to policies to attract foreign private investment. These political choices are the subject of controversies in South Africa to this day.

Mandela stepped down after his first term, and was succeeded by Thabo Mbeki. Mandela then devoted himself to both international and national peace and social justice efforts. He set up a number of charitable organizations, and spoke out publicly against injustices and violent acts such as the Iraq war. Mandela spoke openly about the death of his son Magkatho, from AIDS in 2005, in an attempt to win public solidarity for other sufferers.

Fatigued because of his 89 years and because of the health problems caused by his 27 years incarceration, one of Mandela's last public projects was "the Elders", a group of elder statespersons from all over the world who speak out on social justice issues, created in 2007.

Mandela had divorced Winnie Madikizela in 1992, and married Graça Machel, widow of Mozambican President Samora Machel, in 1998.

Mandela had four children by his first wife, Evelyn, of whom only his daughter Mazikawe survives. Another daughter died in infancy, a son, Thembekile, was killed in an auto crash in 1969, and another son, Magkatho, died of AIDS complications in 2005. He had two daughters by Winnie Mandela, Zindzi and Zenani. Magkatho's son Mandla has taken on what would have been Nelson Mandela's traditional chiefly role in the Mvezu Traditional Council.

Nelson Mandela wrote numerous books and articles, including Long Walk to Freedom (1994, Little, Brown and co.) and Conversations with Myself (with Richard Stengl, 2010 MacMillan).

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.peoplesworld.org/nelson-rolihlahla-mandela-1918-201/

[Shabibilicious]

The world lost a great one yesterday.  Took care of that neg for you Umbertino.     

 

GO RV, then BV

[dog53]

Mandela was a incredible human being. In his youth he had a communist background and firmly believed that socialism was the way to paradise for his people. 

After being incarcerated over the years his  political views changed but not his resolve to break the chains of bondage that was the apartheid  .

A great man who will be missed

 

 

A prayer of smoke I send to the heavens to announce that a young lion has joined them. 

[SnowGlobe7]

Hear Hear...could not of said it any better.

 

I wish I had an ounce of his courage.

[yota691]

1996 he pass Nelson Mandela himself also has a pro-abortion record, and has in the past proved himself an advocate of the pro-homosexual movement......Something to praise...I'll have to pass on this one...

Edited December 6, 2013 by yota691

[SnowGlobe7]

Yota....we were just talking about this.......You are right he was for these things because he believed in total human choices.

 

His stand was that we should not control a human in anyway...his personal choice was against these two things...but that was his choice and he believed that we as humans should have the choice to say yes or no to these two issues as well as any and all issues that we are faced in life.

 

I personally am against these two issues as well, but I am glad that I am allowed to choose and not be told what to choose.

At least that is how I have understood  what I have read about the man.

[yota691]

Human Choices...does that child have a choice as well...and the effects destroy Society's...Destroys Generations...

[Shabibilicious]

Human Choices...does that child have a choice as well...and the effects destroy Society's...Destroys Generations...

 

It's true.........no man is without faults.  For this man's long struggle and ability to free an entire race of people though, I must commend him.    

 

GO RV, then BV

[SnowGlobe7]

I agree with you...I 1000 percent agree. 

 

Just trying to explain how I understand his reasoning for his opinions.

 

To me abortion is killing. God gave you the greatest gift....you will have to answer to him how you treat that gift. 

[DiveDeepSix]

1996 he pass Nelson Mandela himself also has a pro-abortion record, and has in the past proved himself an advocate of the pro-homosexual movement......Something to praise...I'll have to pass on this one...

 

I'm with you on this one Yota.  He did great things to help with equality over there.............kind of......................now it's reversed and whites are being murdered, raped, tortured, and slaughtered in droves, you never hear that on the news, because then the lame stream media couldn't try and make people feel guilty about our ancestors and slavery.  Ever since the blacks have taken over pretty much everything in South Africa, it has gone straight to hell.  Everything is mismanaged so badly that the country is falling apart.  I know this for a fact because I've got a friend from South Africa who is here now on a work visa, he is having difficulty getting citizenship, so I told him to go become a Mexican citizen then sneak into the US illegally and Obama will make him a citizen!  Heaven forbid he try and be a productive member of our society like he is now going to school and working 2 jobs.

 

Perfect example is one of the wildlife parks in S Africa, it can sustain around 3,000 elephants right now there are over 18,000 and they are starving to death and causing all kinds of problems.  At one time I was looking into a hunting/photo safari in South Africa, how I met my buddy, there is no way I would go there now and sure as heck wouldn't bring my family.  Are all these things going wrong Mandelas fault?  Of course not, but his so called people are out of control and no one is doing anything to stop them, it's a blood bath.

[Maggie123]

Thank You For Posting This Umbertino... Good Article.

 

I am amazed at what Mandela accomplished during his life, even while incarcerated, he never gave up working for his fellow man's freedoms.

 

He was an absolutely inspiring human being and will be honored and missed by the world.

 

 

 

 

A prayer of smoke I send to the heavens to announce that a young lion has joined them. 

 

Very Sweet Dog.

 

 

For this man's long struggle and ability to free an entire race of people though, I must commend him.    

 

GO RV, then BV

 

Most Definately Agree Shabs... What He Did Was Incredible!!!

[dog53]

In the usa we do not deal with over 5000 rapes in a single day. 

of course S africa is going to be pro abortion

But hey land of the free. Think what you want 

The man I believe did more good then bad in his life.

God will judge not me. 

Edited December 6, 2013 by dog53

[DiveDeepSix]

In the usa we do not deal with over 5000 rapes in a single day. 

of course S africa is going to be pro abortion

But hey land of the free. Think what you want 

The man I believe did more good then bad in his life.

God will judge not me. 

 

Don't get me wrong Dog, I'm not saying he is a bad guy or didn't do anything important to help society, but I am saying S Africa is not what it seems, it's a disaster, and he nor anyone else is doing or did anything about it and it's going to get worse.  Yes he did preach to treat the whites (especially the farmers (Boers) i think) as equals but he didn't do anything to stop the violence against them either.  In my book doing nothing is about as bad as condoning it. He also looked the other way while his own government people did in fact condone violence, brutal violence and torture, against whites and let it go unpunished. There is plenty of info out there on it, not just news sources, but wikipedia, google, etc. if anyone cares to get an upset stomach. I know other folks from S Africa, but I don't really consider them friends like the guy I was talking about.  The others are a bit out there but I have talked at length with them on what's happening there.  I agree with you God will judge us all.  Peace brother!

Edited December 6, 2013 by DiveDeepSix

[desimo]

What gets me is how out president was not able to pull away from a fundraiser to attend the funeral of an American hero and astronaut but can go to Africa for the funeral of Nelson Mandela.  Nothing negative about Mandela but an real question about Obama's priorities. 

[DiveDeepSix]

What gets me is how out president was not able to pull away from a fundraiser to attend the funeral of an American hero and astronaut but can go to Africa for the funeral of Nelson Mandela.  Nothing negative about Mandela but an real question about Obama's priorities. 

 

No doubt, well I guess "If Obama had a grandpa he would look like...!"  Obama's priorities he has proven time and time again are not what's in the best interests of this country Des.  Guess we get stuck picking up the tab for another vacation.

[TPSprayduster]

What gets me is how out president was not able to pull away from a fundraiser to attend the funeral of an American hero and astronaut but can go to Africa for the funeral of Nelson Mandela.  Nothing negative about Mandela but an real question about Obama's priorities. 

Is he going to the funeral?

Is he going to the funeral?

I guess he is, so i guess he won't be roasted for vacationing in Hawaii this year.  I am sure the negative minded will find something to complain about.

[George Hayduke]

Prior to his presidency, Mandela was incarcerated for 27 years at three different prisons after pleading guilty to 156 acts of public violence including the Johannesburg railway station bombing.

Recently President Obama said with regard to the Boston Bombing, “Any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians it is an act of terror.”

“Any time. . . .”

President Obama said this today, “We’ve lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth.” 

Mandela was also a member of the South African Communist Party and a co-founder of Umkhonto we Sizwe, a guerrilla warfare group declared a terrorist organization by the United States in the 1960s and authored, 'How To Be A Good Communist'.

A Martin Luther King, he is not...

 

GH
 

[AmericaInc]

1996 he pass Nelson Mandela himself also has a pro-abortion record, and has in the past proved himself an advocate of the pro-homosexual movement......Something to praise...I'll have to pass on this one...

Wow, Yota

Too angry even to compliment one of the greatest human beings on earth..that's too bad.

 

So he supported homosexuality? Are they not people, like you? What if everyone hated you and how you had sex - bet you'd like a person like Mandela who stands up for you. You'd probably not speak ill of him after his death.

[George Hayduke]

[AmericaInc]

No doubt, well I guess "If Obama had a grandpa he would look like...!"  Obama's priorities he has proven time and time again are not what's in the best interests of this country Des.  Guess we get stuck picking up the tab for another vacation.

Moan. moan

Mandela was a incredible human being. In his youth he had a communist background and firmly believed that socialism was the way to paradise for his people. 

After being incarcerated over the years his  political views changed but not his resolve to break the chains of bondage that was the apartheid  .

A great man who will be missed

 

 

A prayer of smoke I send to the heavens to announce that a young lion has joined them. 

Beautiful, Dog.

[dog53]

I will not single out any one person here. But what I see is people calling themselves patriots .

Who boast of taking action against a GOVT who they consider rogue and not adhering to this country's  constitution.

Armed conlict.

Hmmmm  and in this armed conflict you do realize that innocents will also be killed.

Bombs will be used and winning by whatever  means necessary would in fact be the order of the day.

Taking back a country is not a bloodless event. So for all you patriots out there who scream the war cry FREEDOM.

You need to take a real hard look at what freedom cost. Yes Mandella was a FREEDOM fighter taking his country back.

sitting bull was a FREEDOM fighter taking his country back

Crazy horse was a FREEDOM Fighter Taking his country back

Geronimo was a FREEDOM fighter taking his country back.

So these were all terrorist ?

Oh wait I forgot only the white man is allowed to kill indiscriminately.

Yes sorry I forgot.

Little Bighorn was not a battle won but a massacre.

and sand creek and wounded knee were great victories 

 

Thats right.

If you truly believe that mandella was a terrorist then sad to say but your conflict with this GOVT.

Is already lost.  

It takes more then bravado and beer balls to defeat a GOVT.

It will take ruthlessness and wading in blood up to your a$$`s 

and god help the innocents. Cause in war if your in the way your dead. 

Yall dont really have a clue.

[DiveDeepSix]

Moan. moan

Beautiful, Dog.

 

Ahh the nutty professor Hame, this one is for you buddy!  Love the eloquent response by the way!! LOL  You know if it were Bush using our tax dollars to fly to another country for a funeral you libs would be screeching like howler monkeys!!

 

 

Edited December 7, 2013 by DiveDeepSix

[Maggie123]

I will not single out any one person here. But what I see is people calling themselves patriots .

Who boast of taking action against a GOVT who they consider rogue and not adhering to this country's  constitution.

Armed conlict.

Hmmmm  and in this armed conflict you do realize that innocents will also be killed.

Bombs will be used and winning by whatever  means necessary would in fact be the order of the day.

Taking back a country is not a bloodless event. So for all you patriots out there who scream the war cry FREEDOM.

You need to take a real hard look at what freedom cost. Yes Mandella was a FREEDOM fighter taking his country back.

Sitting bull was a FREEDOM fighter taking his country back

Crazy horse was a FREEDOM Fighter Taking his country back

Geronimo was a FREEDOM fighter taking his country back.

So these were all terrorist ?

Oh wait I forgot only the white man is allowed to kill indiscriminately.

Yes sorry I forgot.

Little Bighorn was not a battle won but a massacre.

and sand creek and wounded knee were great victories 

 

Thats right.

If you truly believe that mandella was a terrorist then sad to say but your conflict with this GOVT.

Is already lost.  

It takes more then bravado and beer balls to defeat a GOVT.

It will take ruthlessness and wading in blood up to your a$$`s 

and god help the innocents. Cause in war if your in the way your dead. 

Yall dont really have a clue.

 

Very much agree Dog... excellent post!

 

What I take from Mandela's lessons are that he started out non-violent...

 

after he realized the PTB were ignoring the cause... he decided they must fight... I don't blame him a bit.

 

Yep he was labeled as a "terrorist"... go figure.

 

When he came into power he took the high road and didn't treat his abusers the way they treated him.

 

All in all... there were huge sacrifices made by many people to have gotten as far as they have...

 

clearly we have a little ways to go yet before everyone will enjoy the freedoms that we have.

 

 

 

We are no where near the need to shed blood for OUR freedoms... just look at some of the comments on this thread and on this site.

 

Some may call it "freedom" to make such vile remarks... I call it as a sickness among us and very disheartening.

[umbertino]

Quote

Crazy horse was a FREEDOM Fighter Taking his country back

Geronimo was a FREEDOM fighter taking his country back.

So these were all terrorist ?

Oh wait I forgot only the white man is allowed to kill indiscriminately.

Yes sorry I forgot.

End Quote

You said it, Bro.

 

Now I hope what you (rightly) said  might be applied  more broadly world-wide without hypocrisy... In Palestine, for example.

Edited December 7, 2013 by umbertino

[yota691]

Wow, Yota

Too angry even to compliment one of the greatest human beings on earth..that's too bad.

 

So he supported homosexuality? Are they not people, like you? What if everyone hated you and how you had sex - bet you'd like a person like Mandela who stands up for you. You'd probably not speak ill of him after his death.

I'm not angry, I'm just not giving Praise to and individual that contributed to abortions, as far as the homo thing..to each his own..they will have a Day of reckoning...I was just simple pointing out FACTS...Don't assume for me..Lame...How that new screen name working out for ya...