Nelson Mandela Obstacles

These huge happenings both removed the global communist threat and freed people from injustices, which created an illusion that the entire world was listening in on South Africa, expecting a revolutionary change. From the very beginning protesters, especially Nelson Mandela himself, were influenced by Gandhi and his Satyagraha campaign in India as it was in several ways a similar fight. They both took place in countries that had been colonised by Great Britain, they both fought against the discrimination and oppression of the population and were both led by world-renowned leaders that shared fundamental ideas of unity and compassion. However, Gandhi’s philosophy wasn’t something Mandela followed meticulously. One of the major differences between their methods of ruling is that Mandela used violence at times, as it came to a point where he saw it as a necessity. It is important to note that without Gandhi’s fight in India, the protesters in South Africa may never have had motivation enough to see the potential they held, and what a difference they could make by

6) however, like Gandhi, he encouraged the volunteers not to retaliate. Mandela spent 26 years and 8 months in jail as punishment for his protesting however, he felt that “no sacrifice was too great in the struggle for freedom” (Doc. 9). He spent time in jail with other protesters that all felt that “whatever sentences [they] received, even the death sentence… [their] deaths would not be in vain” (Doc. 9). Freedom for the South African people from apartheid finally came in 1993. To Mandela this was not just the freedom of his people but “the freedom of all people, black and white” (Doc. 12). “South Africa’s New Democracy” rose after years of continuous nonviolence from the populace.

In the 1960s, many of the colonial nations of Africa were gaining independence. The ANC was encouraged and campaigned for democracy in South Africa. They were mild campaigns at first, but as the government became more hostile, so did ANC protests. In November 1961, a military branch of the party was organized with Mandela as its head. It authorized the limited use of arms and sabotage against the government, which got the government’s attention—and its anger! Mandela went into hiding in 1964, he was captured, tried, and sentenced to life imprisonment. It was a sad day for black South Africa.

In Invictus, previously published as Playing the Enemy, John Carlin takes the reader on a journey through Nelson Mandela’s rise from prison to his Presidency of South Africa in the first free election in 1994. Nelson Mandela’s journey first began his journey to racial equality in 1985 during his 23-year prison sentence. Previously a radical member of the African National Congress Mandela he served as president of the ANC from 1991 to 1997. During his time in prison, Mandela shifted from retaliation to compromise by attempting to take down the leaders of apartheid physiologically. This attitude and approach to the harsh racism in South Africa landed him in the position of the first black president of South Africa as well as being credited for unifying the country in the famed rugby world cup in 1995.

He opened the first black law firm in South Africa. Mandela was also a part of the African National Congress (ANC). Mandela and the ANC took part in many protests which included: burning statues, structures, passbooks, and anything that had significance to the apartheid. They traveled throughout South Africa to spread their campaign and tried to teach the country that everyone was equal. Laws were quickly established to banish the ANC from existence.

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one 's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others” ("Nelson Mandela." History). Nelson Mandela, a anti-apartheid activist, became one of the world’s most significant freedom fighter. His numerous acts and protests flooded South Africa with immense pride and peace and therefore grew South Africa into a thriving, substantial economy with minimal racial boundaries. Nelson Mandela was a prominent political leader who brought a dynamic end to the apartheid struggle, fought for equal rights of all individuals, and became the nation’s first black South African leader.

While in prison many other ANC leaders were also found and arrested. They were all put on trial (Rivonia Trial) for sabotage, treason, and violent conspiracy. Mandela was sentenced to life in prison at the maximum security Robben Island Prison. Although in a maximum-security prison, Mandela was still able to keep in contact with the anti-apartheid movement secretly. For 18 years Mandela stayed at Robben Island, where he lived under harsh conditions with other political leaders. This time spent in the prison changed his attitude and made him become the great political leader that he is today. He realized that violence was not the answer to all his problems. Furthermore, many would think that this imprisonment would hurt the anti-apartheid movement, but in reality it helped much more. Many world leaders demanded that Mandela be

Imagine being systematically oppressed from the moment you exited the womb. All your civil rights, based on the amount of melanin in your skin. Drinking from the wrong water fountain, could even get you thrown into jail. Coincidently; this was the life, of black South Africans from the moment of Dutch colonization in 1652, to the first true democratic election in 1994. Apartheid, meaning “separateness” in Afrikaans; was legal segregation enforced by The National Party (NP) from 1948 to 1994. It legally imposed preexisting policies of racial discrimination on the Majority of the South African population. The entire basis of the racist policies, was the darker your complexion the less legal rights you had. Presumably this injustice, could have continued much longer if it weren’t for all involved in the fight against the NP, however the man who arguably contributed the most, was Nelson Mandela. He ended an apartheid, with both his philanthropy and political prowess. He united a nation that used to be segregated; which seemed a daunting task at the time, but through the sweat and bloodshed he achieved the impossible. This alone exhibited his heroic characteristics, but to be more precise: both his actions and inactions lead to his success. Furthermore, Mandela was both a strong leader and forgiving at the same-time. Being in the forefront of the abolishment movement, was an extremely risky move during the apartheid. He risked his life for what he believed in, and this personal

Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and went on to lead the way for the abolition of apartheid in 1994. He was elected as South Africa's first black president that same year. His most astounding accomplishment after suffering years of abuse was to create the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which focused on healing the country's wounds from human rights abuses using truth-telling and forgiveness (Sara Critchfield, N.D.). After spending a good amount of time in prison, he continues to have a good attitude and attempt to end the apartheid. This relates to the theme because it examples how Mandela kind of saw past the time he spent in prison, and examples how he continued to end the apartheid.

When Nelson Mandela faces these challenges he says; “What we’re experiencing now are the birth pangs of the new nation. And have no doubt the new nation will be born. But birth is usually accompanied by pain, even death.” (Page 167-168) Separate but equal was

Every life comes with hardships and with every hardship comes some sort of setback be it big or small. Nelson Mandela said to his people “do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again”, and many times did he fall and get back up (Brainyquote). Nelson Mandela has always had a vision of South Africa where he and his people could live in a community without apartheid. As this vision became clear to him, and he began to act upon his thoughts, the white supremacists began their process on preventing him from achieving his goals. Nelson Mandela was first charge was furthering the aims of communism which ended his work towards an education due to his incardination and somewhat due to his financial status (Williams). This would not hold back his strive for a degree, upon his release he immediately focused on schooling (nelsonmandela). While jail time set him back Nelson Mandela soon continued his long trail to a degree at a University of London; determined to earn some sort of certificate of completion (Williams).

In 1964, he was found guilty of sabotage and treason and spent three decades in the Robben Island Prison. Mandela turned the prison experience into an ANC school, teaching other blacks about politics and other freedom fighters like Gandhi (Lockard 959). Nelson Mandela fought against apartheid for years with protests/strikes and by leading the ANC.

Nelson Mandela was the man who abolished Apartheid, freeing South Africa from the binds of racial segregation forever. However, it was not an easy road and Mandela needed patience, strength of character, focus, passion, understanding, perseverance, and most importantly, forgiveness, to achieve this. For more than forty years, black South Africans were subject to the harsh racial segregation of the Apartheid system; despite making up over 70% of South Africa’s population, they had little to no rights.

Nelson Mandela’s influence is most evident on Americans politicians than anything else. “Late in the afternoon of Sunday, Feb 11, 1990, the gates of Victor Verster Prison opened and a historic moment millions of people around the planet had awaited for years was at hand: Nelson Mandela, the world’s most noted prisoner of Conscience, walked into the sunlight of freedom” (Fenton). Students who participated in the Divestment Protests in the late 1970’s felt as if they were a part of Mandela’s release from jail. During his first few months of freedom, Mandela became a global ambassador for the African National Congress. In March 1990, only weeks after release, he met with world leaders. In June he set out on a forty–five day, 15 nation tours. He met with several leaders on three continents. When the news leaked that Mandela would visit the US, hundreds of requests for appearances were submitted. “Mandela’s arrival in America on June 20th, 1990 created a sensation. More than 750,000 people lined up on the streets of Manhattan” to catch a sight of the former prisoner (Fenton). Nelson visited the

Even when Mandela was incarcerated, his colleagues were giving the movement pushes; but on January 1963, the police found an ANC secret hideout in Rivona, where planning documents for the guerrilla were found; that’s why, on that year, Mandela and some colleagues faced a trial known as the Rivona trial where he was sentenced for the rest of his life.