Mandela, Nelson Rolihlahla, South Africa's first black president. Mandela was widely revered by blacks throughout Africa as a symbol of black liberation. He gained almost legendary status through the 1980s as South Africa's leading antiapartheid figure, assuming the forefront of the black struggle after his release from prison. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born July 18, 1918 near Umtata in Transkei, in the Eastern Cape, into the royal family of the Tembu, a Xhosa-speaking tribe. He was educated at a British missionary boarding school and at Fort Hare University, from which he was expelled in 1940 for leading a strike with Oliver Tambo. He returned home, but ran away to Soweto in Transvaal province, giving up his hereditary chieftanship to avoid an arranged marriage. He eventually obtained a law degree from the University of South Africa. Helped by Walter Sisulu, Mandela and Tambo set up South Africa's first black law firm. In 1944, the three men formed the African National Congress Youth League, which came to dominate the ANC in 1948. He became president of the league in 1950. Meanwhile Mandela married Evelyn Ntoko, with whom he had three children. The couple later were divorced. Mandela was arrested in 1955 and was acquitted of treason in 1961. After the trial, Mandela took up armed insurrection, traveling abroad for military training. Upon his return to South Africa, he went underground and formed the ANC's military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation). The press dubbed him the "Black Pimpernel" because of the disguises he used to avoid police for 18 months. He was arrested again on August 5, 1962 and charged with inciting people to strike and with leaving South Africa without a passport. He was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of sabotage and attempting to overthrow the government. While he was in prison, police raided an ANC safe house in Rivonia, a suburb of Johannesburg, as a result of which M...
