Biography of Nelson Mandela

Running Head: BIOGRAPHY OF NELSON MANDELA 0
Biography of Nelson Mandela

BIOGRAPHY OF NELSON MANDELA 1
Originally Known as Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, one of the most extensive and profound
political leader and the philanthropist who served South America as a President for the period of
1994 to 1999. Who would know a black would run the state and become a first elected in a fully
representative democratic election. Till date he is known as the most popular person amongst the
world. Born and brought up in Thembu in the year 1918 as a member of the royal family in
Mvezo, British South Africa, he continued his studies in the field of law at the University of Fort
Hare before working as a lawyer in Johannesburg (Davis, 2018). The core feature of Nelson
Mandela is that he is considered as the father of the democratic South Africa and people admire
him for his skills with which he could brought the nation together previously divided by
apartheid. He brought the vision to forgive and forge a new nation. In the year 1914 his
contribution was epic in terms of ending the injustice towards the black people penetrated by the
National Party commonly known as the expression of the white population (Abel, 2015).
During his childhood his father Gadla Henry was the local chief and councilor to
monarch. The turning point in the Nelson’s life was when his father was also sacked for
corruption and he was told that he lost his job. The early childhood life of Mandela went through
the domination of Traditional Thembu and taboos prevailing at that time. Both of his parents
belonged to the Christian community but were illiterate. At the age of seven his mother sent him
to local Methodist school. Mandela was given the English name Nelson only after that. At the
age of nine his father died due to an undiagnosed ailment in Qunu. Her mother left him under the
guardianship of the Thembu regent where he was brought by Thembu regent and his wife along
with their own kids. Though he was far from his mother, Thembu regent’s wife took even care
of him. Nelson used to attend several Christian activities and services and hence Christianity
became one of the most important life aspects of Mandela.