Mandela’s Road from Prison to Presidency

 

     Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918 in a small South African village with no electricity or running water. His father served as a counselor to the Acting King of the Thembu people, most of whom lived in the Eastern region. When Rolihlahla was 12 years old, his father died and he became a ward of the Acting King. Under his tutelage, Rolihlahla learned the history of the wars of resistance including the Boer Wars and the bravery of his ancestors in the struggle against apartheid. This inspired him to make his own contribution to the fight for freedom.

     He was given the name Nelson in primary school, where the custom was to give “Christian names” to all schoolchildren. He was the first member of his family to attend high school. When he completed his coursework in 1938, he became one of a small number of black students in the country who attained a high school education.

Nelson Mandela at age 19

     Although he began studies at the University College of Fort Hare, he was expelled for joining a student protest before completing his studies. This infuriated the King, who threatened to arrange a marriage for Mandela. He ran away to Johannesburg instead, where he worked at several jobs and became more politically active in the fight against apartheid. While there, he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree through the University of South Africa. In 1944, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) and co-founded the ANC Youth League. 

    That same year, he married Evelyn Ntoko Mase. Together they had two daughters and two sons.

     In 1943, Mandela began courses at the University of the Witwatersrand toward a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB). He left without graduating, although he had completed his two-year credential in law. He was chosen National Volunteer-in-Chief of the Defiance Campaign. This was a civil disobedience movement against six laws the ANC considered unjust. For their part in the campaign, Mandela and 19 others were charged under the Suppression of Communism Act and sentenced to nine months of hard labor, but the sentence was suspended.

     Since Mandela held a Bachelor of Arts degree and had completed two years of study in law, even without graduating, he was allowed to practice. He and a partner opened South Africa’s first black-owned law firm, Mandela & Tambo.

      In 1958, Mandela divorced his first wife and married Winnie Madikizela. Together, they had two daughters.

      The South African government banned the ANC in April 1960. The movement went underground. In January 1962, Mandela left the country for six months to garner support for the ANC. In August, he was arrested for incitement and leaving the country without a passport. He was tried and sentenced to five years in prison.  There, he began studying law again.