Nelson Mandela

In 1994 Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa . For nearly 50 years, 27 of them, he had, and finally won, the battle against apartheid.

The eldest son of a Temp tribal chief, Mandela studied to become a lawyer and spent his early career as a leading political activist in the increasingly militant antiapartheid party, the African National Congress (ANC). In 1964 after the ANC was banned, Mandela was tried for treason and given a life sentence. There was an internal campaign for his release and over the years he became a symbol of resistance to white domination and racial segregation everywhere. His second wife, Winnie, succeeded in keeping the world's attention on him during his captivity, which he bore with dignity and without recrimination.

After his release he negotiated political power for the black majority population and was elected president by a massive majority. South Africa was readmitted to the UN, and sanctions were withdrawn. In 1993 he won the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing racial harmony and democracy to South Africa .   [UP]