He became the first black president of South Africa in 1994, Mandela spent much of his whole life in prison for leading black opposition to the rule of the white minority goverment. He was president from 1994 until his retirement in 1999. During his many yaers in prison, he became a worlwide symbol of resistance to white domination in South Africa and skeaks to supporters upon his release from prison on February 11, 1990.

Mandela was born in Umtata, Transkei, his father was the the main concilor of the tribe of the Thembu and Mandela was forced to be a chief. he decided to study at Fort Hare Collage where he became interested in politics and met Oliver Tambo, ho became a longlifed friend. Mandela left Transkei and became a policeman in Johannesburg. Then he met Walter Sisulu, who helped him with articles in a legal firm. In 1994 he became a member, with Sisulu, Tambo, and Anton Lembede, of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth Leage and became the ANC´s secretary in 1948.

In december 1952 he was arrested for reducing politics in the Communistic act but his nine month sentence was suspended. A few years later he decided to leave Johannesburg. Then he met and married Nkosikazi Nomzamo Madikizela, better known as Winnie Mandela in 1958. When 69 black peoples were killed by South African security force during a demonstration against apharteid laws, the ANC and the Pan-African conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From there he went to Algeria, where he trained guerillas. When he returned to South Africa it was captured. He was sentenced to five years in prison for illegally leaving the country. He spent 18 years on Robben island before being transferred to Pollsmoor Prison, Cape Town. In 1982 was the year when a worldwide ”Release Mandela” campaign took part.

In 1985 Mandela turned down the offer by President P. W. Botha of conditional release, on the grounds that he wasn´t prepared to compromise his position over the issue of the apartheid. Mandela was released in February 1990. In May 1994 all races including blacks could vote, and Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. In 1992 he separated from his wife Winnie, but later he made her a minister in his Cabinet. He kicked her from this post in April 1995 and in March 1996 he was finally divorced from his wife. In september 1996 he had a long relationship with Graca Machel, who is the president of Mosanbique. He became involved in peacemaking efforts with Africa, he tried but failed to save the life of Ken Saro-Wiwa when he was executed in Nigeria in 1995, and he acted as a mediator in the civil war in Zaire in 1997. In november he became a peacemaker in the civil war in Burundi. In his retirement he became very critical of the ANC policy on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Mandela has really made me stronger as a person because whenever he had sufferings he stood up for himselves.

How come that Mandela became so famous and successful?
Source: Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2003