“I dream of an Africa which is in peace itself ” -Mandela
Nelson Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, politician and revolutionary. His freedom was stripped off him, yet he continued to stand firm for the rights of the South Africans. He played a leading role in the drive for peace in different circles of conflict. Despite many difficulties on the way, he never compromised on his political principles and, therefore, was always a source of strength for the prisoners.
Nelson was born on 18th July, 1918, in Transkei, South Africa. When he was 9 years old, his father died of 
tuberculosis. His original name was Rolihlahla Mandela. The name Nelson was given to him by his teacher. He was the first from his family to attend school. He was the first South African President elected democratically. He was the oldest elected president – 75 at election — of South Africa.
He joined the African National Congress in 1944 as an activist. Later, he became the founding president of the ANC Youth League. He qualified as lawyer in 1952 and started practicing law with a partner. He remained in prison for 27 years. He was as a D-group prisoner, i.e. the lowest classification, where he was allowed one visitor and one letter every six months.
In 1993, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a commendation for his exhaustive work for peace. He addressed the injustice of apartheid. Nelson Mandela spent his entire life fighting for equal grant of opportunities, education and political rights to the people. He believed that there was no peace without equality. It was the reason that even after twenty-seven years of imprisonment, he continued to uphold the political rights of the black South Africans. In 1994, the autobiography of Nelson Mandela was published, titled “Long walk to freedom”. Nelson Mandela was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer in 2001. His struggle against AIDs became starkly personal in early 2005 because he lost his only surviving son due to the same disease, at the age of 54 years. After suffering from a prolonged respiratory infection, at the age of 95, Mandela died on December 5, 2013.
Having had honorary degrees from more than 50 international universities, Nelson Mandela remains one of the most awarded persons in the history, receiving more than 250 awards. The peace activist, Nelson Mandela, has made the whole world realize that standing for peace is not so easy but firm determination and strong willpower always end up bearing sweet fruit for all the struggle and hard work.
Written by: Nabiha Malik
