Nelson Mandela International Day

Nelson Mandela was born in Mvezo in Umata as Rolihlahla, an appropriate forename meaning “troublemaker” in Xhosa. His great-grandfather was Ngubengcuka, King of the Thembu of the Transkeian Territories. Throughout his life he fought as a revolutionary against the terrors of Apartheid, and served time in prison as a result, spending 28 years there before his release in 1990. In 1991 he began his negotiations to end apartheid, finally succeeding in putting an end to it in that year.

The rest of his life was spent working to better the lives of people in South Africa and continue to expand civil liberties within the country.

He was much beloved by leaders and common people everywhere, and upon his death in 2013. Nelson Mandela International Day reminds us of the life and times of this hero and the work he did in his life and encourages all of us to continue his good works in our own.