 |
| Nelson Mandela is sworn in as the first black president of South Africa in 1994 |
Most people know Nelson Mandela as
the first black president of South Africa, a man who became a symbol of the
anti-apartheid movement, and one who gave up nearly 30 years of his life in
prison. He remains a hero to South Africans as well as to the international
community, and will continually represent the struggle for freedom. But it’s
easy to forget that even legends are human. Here are 10 things you probably
didn’t know about Nelson Mandela.
*For the conspiracy theorists out
there, I regret to inform you that Mandela is not in fact a part of the
Illuminati, does not lead a Satanist cult, and did not die in Robben Island 30
years ago, only to be replaced by an impersonator.
 |
Mandela in prison
|
1. Mandela’s tribal nickname is
“Rolihlahla,” meaning “Troublemaker.”
Other accounts translate Rolihlalhla
to mean “to pull a branch from a tree,” which, of course, is something only a
troublemaker would do. It was his teacher, Miss Mdingane, who gave him the
English name “Nelson,” much to the relief of journalists everywhere when he
became famous.
2. Mandela was expelled from university
after less than a year.
After finishing boarding school,
Mandela headed to Fort Hare Missionary College. Less than 12 months later, he
was expelled from college for helping to organize a strike against the white
colonial rule of the institution. One might call this foreshadowing.
3. The United Nations decreed his
birthday as Mandela Day.
In 2009, the U.N. declared Mandela’s
birthday, July 18, as Mandela Day to mark his contribution to world freedom.
The holiday calls on individuals to donate 67 minutes to doing something for
others, reflecting the 67 years that Mandela had been a part of the
anti-apartheid movement.
4. Mandela is often referred to as
Madiba, his Xhosa clan name
Mandela is a member of the Thembu, a Xhosa clan,
and is often referred to by his clan name, Madiba. It is a sign of the
incredible diversity of people and languages in South Africa. The country has
11 different official languages
5. Mandela’s father had four wives, and
Nelson is one of 13 children.
Mandela’s father, a local chief and
councellor to the Thembu king, died from tuberculosis when his son was 9.
Before that, he fathered 13 children by four wives, four boys and nine
girls. After his father’s death, Mandela was put under the guardianship
of Jongintaba, the Thembu regent.
6. Mandela has received more than 250
awards for his accomplishments.
Among these awards is the shared
1993 Nobel Peace Prize with F.W. de Klerk, the last president of the apartheid
government of South Africa (he too is widely credited as an instrumental force
in ending apartheid). Additionally, Mandela has received more than 50 honorary
degrees from international universities worldwide, became the first honorary
Canadian citizen in 2001, and received the last Lenin Peace Prize from the
Soviet Union.
7. Stevie Wonder dedicated his 1985
Oscar for “I Just Called to Say I Love You” to Mandela.
After Stevie accepted his award in
honor of Nelson Mandela, the government-owned South African Broadcasting
Corporation banned Stevie’s music from the airways. It wasn’t until Mandela was
elected in 1994 that Stevie was finally allowed back in South Africa.
8. Mandela outlived his two oldest
sons.
Mandela had six children, but
tragically lost his two oldest sons. Thembi died in a car crash at age 25.
Mandela was in prison at the time of the death and was unable to attend the
funeral. Another son died of AIDS in 2005 at age 54. While Mandela’s
administration was criticized for not doing enough to fight the AIDS epidemic
in South Africa, he established the Nelson Mandela Foundation in 1999 following
his retirement to help fight the spread of AIDS.
9. Mandela ran away from home at age of
19.
When his guardian tried to arrange a
marriage, Mandela ran away from home in 1941 and headed to Johannesburg. He
began to work as a night watchman at Crown Mines, but was fired after it was
discovered that he was the Thembu regent’s runaway.
10. Mandela spent his first night after
being freed from prison in Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s home.
Tutu had his helpers prepare his own
favorite meal of chicken curry, rice and green salad, followed by rum raisin
ice cream and custard.
