I listened as he spoke, inspired, hanging on to every word, I was hooked and finally I had found something I had been searching for: A Hero.From that day every library session we had, while my friends hunted down E.B. White and A.A. Mill, I searched for books about Mandela. The more I read, the more I liked him, his achievements were inspiring. First black president of South Africa was something special, I had only ever heard of white presidents until then.
But what struck me the most was his imprisonment, how can someone be put in jail for encouraging his own people to fight for their rights, it sounded barbaric to me at six years old. I was obsessed with Robben Island, Mandela remained there for 20 years, locked in a cell of 2.4 x 2.1 meters with nothing but a straw mat to sleep on; by day he broke rocks into gravel and at night he worked on his LLB degree.
After Robben Island he was moved to Pollsmoor Prison, which allowed him to have communication, through letters, with the outside world and also permitted him to read voraciously. It was here he would be appointed Patron of the Multi-Racial United Democracy Front. There he remained until his 70th Birthday in 1988. Recovering from Tuberculosis he was moved to Victor Verster prison, housed in comfortable conditions which allowed him to complete his LLB degree.
He was released on February 11th 1990, standing with his wife at his side he gave his first public speech declaring his commitment to peace and reconciliation with the white minority. The speech worked, in 1994 he became president of South Africa, a big step forward for the country and in 1996 he was appointed Chairman of the Southern African Development Community and installed negotiations to put an end to the first Congo war. In 1997 he stepped down as ANS president and gave his final farewell speech on the 29th of March 1999 after which he retired.
But that wasn't the last of Mandela, still hugely important to his country he made several public appearances. In 2001 he was treated for prostate cancer and in 2008 he celebrated his 90th birthday along side his third wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.I had a heavy heart after his death, I lost a hero, an inspiration and South Africa lost their father, their voice.
He was a fighter, he had been all his life, he spread a message of never giving up and fighting for what you believe. He was a voice for people who didn't have one. He taught us that education was important to change the world, that we must use our time wisely and it's never too late to do things right. He fought for the freedom of his people which left him fighting for his own freedom, but South Africa stood by him, he was the voice they needed.
RIP Nelson Mandela. 18th July 1918 - 5th of December 2013
Spread your wings, fly high and free. Lost but never forgotten, a hero that will truly be missed.
"Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement."- Nelson Mandela
