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.
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.
Afkinsider
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