"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunity. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die".
Nelson Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa, on July 18, 1918. He was one of the most well-known anti-apartheid activists in South Africa. He was jailed in 1964 for leading the liberation movement against apartheid and for his stance on the human right to live in freedom. After his release from prison in 1990, Nelson Mandela continued addressing racial issues in his country and supported reconciliation initiatives. His efforts resulted in him becoming elected as South Africa’s president in 1994. He remained in office as president until 1999. He also won the Nobel Prize of Peace in 1993. Unfortunately, Mandela died of a lung infection following a long illness at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, on 5 December 2013.
