Nelson Mandela: The Struggle in Life - Essay Example

This essay would revolve around the contributions of Nelson Mandela (Guiloineau 2002)

Nelson Mandela

             In 1961 a letter from Nelson Mandela stated “I will continue fighting for freedom until the end of my days” (Mandela 1990). This clearly showed that Nelson Mandela believed in freedom from his early life. He received life imprisonment for the Rivonia trial in 1964 and was released in 1990. His contribution to his native country can be related back to his early life when he received an education in times when most the people in South Africa were uneducated. It was there in his college that he learned much about the political problems that South Africa was facing at those times. He then joined Congress and formed the Youth league along with his acquaintances in 1944. The injustices against the black were increasing in South Africa as witnessed by Mandela in those times as the Whites were gaining more access to the country after World War II. All these conditions made Mandela persuade the committee he formed to go on strikes and civil disobedience against the government for the betterment of the blacks. His struggles then continued which bore some fruit in those times but he was arrested in 1962 after he was found by police (Mandela 1990; Boehmer 2008).

   Mandela was detained for twenty-seven years in prison and is known to be one of the longest-imprisoned freedom activists in the history of the world. After his release from jail one could clearly see his growing influence on the people of South Africa when thousands of people came to greet him outside the jail. After being released from jail he started his freedom movement again for the blacks of South Africa. He was made the president of the African National Congress again in 1991. It was after the death of a member of the ANC that presidential elections were held again. The African National Congress won the presidential elections and Mandela was elected as the president in 1994. He played a great role in decreasing the tensions between the whites and blacks of South Africa. He designed the constitutional documents for South Africa and made good relations with old allies of South Africa. However, in 1999 he stepped down as the president of South Africa and handed over it to Thabo Mbeki (Mandela 1990; Mandela 1994; BBC News 2008).

    After handing the presidency the third phase of Nelson Mandela’s life started in which he did not stop struggling for the freedom of people in South Africa. He still worked for peace accords in South Africa and helped to lower the tensions in Burundi. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 and has ever since lowered his public appearances. He played a great role in the campaign for AIDS and HIV and contributed to the campaigns to increase awareness amongst the African people. Nelson Mandela is an icon in South Africa who is a role model for every leader to follow (BBC News 2008; Meredith 1998).

Conclusion
     Nelson Mandela was an icon born in the suburbs of South Africa who later turned out to be the most successful president of all time. Mandela played a great role in the politics of South Africa and received a Nobel prize after he got released from jail in 1990. Even before becoming the president he played such a major role in the politics of South Africa that he promoted the rights of blacks in South Africa. All his life he tried to remove the differences between blacks and whites and tried to create equality. It can be hence said that Nelson Mandela is a great person along with a great leader. Read More