How Did Nelson Mandela Help South Africa Gain Independence ?

By | November 26, 2015

How Did Nelson Mandela Help South Africa Gain Independence ?

How Did Nelson Mandela Help South Africa Gain Independence ?
Nelson Mandela was born in 1918 to a South Africa that was full of apartheid. This was a system where black people were treated as second class citizens and not allowed do numerous things, such as use the same toilets as white people or ride beside them on the bus.
Nelson Mandela joined the ANC, a political party who opposed apartheid through peaceful rule. He also lead the ANC youth, to mobilize the youth of South Africa and created a legal practice to represent people at a low cost so they could stand up for themselves in a court of law for a low price.
Mandela became leader of the military side of the ANC in 1961 and helped coordinate sabotage attacks on the Government buildings through a spate of attacks. Mandela also raised funds for a number of paramilitary groups. In later years, Mandela spoke out against the armed struggle and put it down to the frustration of the people at the time.
Because of all of this Mandela was brought to trial for treason in 1863 and was sentenced to 27 years in prison along with a number of other South African leaders.
During this time Mandela trained as a lawyer with the University of London, through its external program. Throughout the 1980s Mandela was offered freedom if he rejected the cause, he never took it and decided to stay imprisoned instead.
Mandela was released in 1990 as the world watched. He gave a speech and said he wanted to work for a peaceful South Africa with white people. In 1991 Mandela became president of the ANC and led the party in its first multi racial elections in 1991. He was rewarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his work with the then white president of South Africa.
Mandela became President of South Africa in 1994 with the coming of the first true open elections. Mandela also helped to settle the dispute between Britain and Libya over the Lockerbie bombing.