18TH JULY NELSON MANDELA INTERNATIONAL DAY

NELSON MANDELA INTERNATIONAL DAY (A/RES/64/13)

NELSON MANDELA…THE EXAMPLE OF FREEDOM CHAMPION AND FORGIVENESS.

AFTER HE WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON, TANZANIA WAS THE FIRST COUNTRY HE VISITED. TANZANIA BEING THE FRONT-LINE STATE, WAS ACTIVE IN THE FREEDOM STRUGGLE OF THE FREEDOM FOR SOUTH AFRICA.

The Nelson Mandela International Day is being observed throughout the world  on 18^th July, the day he was born ninety seven years ago in South Africa. Twenty seven years of his life was  spent in prison because he fought vehemently against the apartheid system, tackling racism, inequality in his own country.

Nelson Mandela (18^th July 1918 -5^th December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary politician and a philanthropist. Politically he was an African Nationalist and a Democratic Socialist. He served as President of the African National Congress party from 1991-1997 and became the first black President of South Africa fully elected during the democratic elections.

Internationally, the champion of freedom and an example of fostering racial reconciliation, Nelson Mandela was Secretary General of the non-aligned movement from 1998 to 1999.

As a sportsman, he enjoyed boxing but he also fought like a learned lawyer. He attended Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand where he studied law. It was in Johannesburg where he became active in anti-apartheid and anti-colonial politics, particularly against the Afrikaner minority government of the National Party which established the loathed apartheid policy in 1948.

As a lawyer and a revolutionary South African, he was repeatedly arrested by the apartheid minority government. He was instrumental in forming the Umkhomto wa Sizwe militant organ of the ANC in 1961, leading a sabotage campaign against the apartheid government.

In 1962 he was arrested, convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the state and sentenced to life imprisonment.  For twenty seven years he was imprisoned on the Robben Island Prison, Pollsmorr Prison and Victor Verster Prison. He was released from prison after an international campaign, locally organized forceful campaign in 1990.

Perusing into the record of Nelson Mandela’s life, he received more than 250 honors. In 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Soviet Order of Lenin. Nelson Mandela will continue to be known as Tata (father), Father of the Nation of South Africa.

The historical pair of boots which were handed over to Father of Nation, Nelson Mandela by Lion Vicky Nsilo Swai. The boots were left behind at the resident of former minister Late Nsilo Swai by Late Nelson Mandela when he visited Tanzania. For security reasons he stayed at the resident of Late Nsilo Swai. Above picture shows Late Nelson Mandela receiving the boots.

Story by Abdul Hai (various sources)