Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nelson Mandela?
Read Nelson Mandela’s biography.
Can you supply a brief history of the life of Mr Nelson Mandela?
See our Biography or Chronology pages.
How many awards has Mr Nelson Mandela received in his lifetime?
Mr Mandela has received more than 200 awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize and the US Congressional Medal. He also has scores of honorary degrees, honorary citizenships, and honorary memberships of organiations. Many streets and buildings have been named after Mr Mandela as a tribute.
How can I contact Mr Nelson Mandela?
Mr Mandela retired from public life in 2004. You can, however, send him a message through his office, the Nelson Mandela Foundation at .
Where can I find quotes by Mr Mandela?
On the Nelson Mandela Foundation Centre of Memory website in the Memory section. All the quotes there have been verified. You will also find speeches that he has made.
Does Mr Nelson Mandela have an AIDS Foundation?
Mr Mandela’s views on HIV and Aids have been well publicised (see, for example his speeches). He formally retired from public life in June 2004. (see this speech) and handed responsibility for all his projects to his charitable organisations. The 46664 campaign is the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s vehicle to work within the HIV and AIDS sector. Relevant websites: 46664.com, and Nelson Mandela Childrens’ Fund
Who are Mr Mandela’s biological family?
Mr Mandela has a big family. He had four daughters and two sons. Only three daughters are still alive: Makaziwe, Zenani and Zindzi. He also has 18 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and three step-grandchildren. He has four step-children through his marriage to Graça Machel.
What did Mr Nelson Mandela do in 2007?
The year was a busy one for Mr Mandela. He spent a lot of time travelling and also spent time with his family at his home in Qunu in the Transkei (in the Eastern Cape), in Cape Town, in Johannesburg and in Mozambique. He opened, with fomer US President Bill Clinton, the exhibition called Making Peace, which is about his life and that of the late ANC leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Chief Albert Luthuli. Mr Mandela also unveiled a statue of himself in London’s Parliament Square. He met the Springbok rugby team both before and after they won the Rugby World Cup and he attended both the 46664 concert in Johannesburg and the fourth Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture.
Why does Mr Mandela hold photo opportunities with certain people and not with others?
All visitors are asked to sign a code of conduct agreeing that photographs taken with Mr Mandela are for their private collections and should not be used for publication, fund-raising, or commercial purposes. From time to time Mr Mandela chooses to be photographed by the press at such meetings. Recent examples are when he congratulated the Soweto Gospel Choir on its second Grammy Award, and when he met young students from South Africa and other African countries who had received post-graduate scholarships from the Mandela Rhodes Foundation.
How many marriages has Mr Nelson Mandela had and to whom?
Mr Mandela has been married three times. He was first married to Evelyn Ntoko Mase in 1944. They separated in 1955 and divorced in 1958. His former wife died in 2004. They had two daughters and two sons. Their baby daughter, Makaziwe died at the age of nine months in 1947. Their eldest son, Madiba Thembekile (Thembi) was killed in a car accident in 1969 when Mr Mandela was in prison. He was not allowed to attend the funeral. Their second son, Makgatho Lewanika died of an AIDS-related illness in 2005. In 1958 Mr Mandela married Winifred Nomzamo Zanyiwe Madikizela. They had two daughters, Zenani and Zindziswa. They divorced in 1996.
On his birthday in 1998, Mr Mandela married Graça Machel. Mrs Machel brought two children and two step-children into the marriage. For further information, please see the Biography section.How old is Mr Nelson Mandela?
Mr Mandela turns 90 on 18 July 2008.
What does Mr Nelson Mandela think of the state of education in South Africa?
Mr Mandela’s views on education have been well publicised (see, for example various speeches). The Nelson Mandela Institute for Rural Education and Development is responsible for continuing the work Mr. Mandela started in education. Relevant websites: the Mandela Institute and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation.
Does Mr Mandela, the Nelson Mandela Foundation or any of the sister charities accept fees when he meets people or appears in public?
No. Mr Mandela meets who he chooses to meet, with absolutely no fees involved. There is no such thing as money for Mr Mandela’s time.
Which charities does Mr Nelson Mandela support?
Through his Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Mr Mandela supports a range of charities. He is also the patron of a number of charities including those working in the fields of surgery for children (cardiac and facial surgery), the eradication of landmines, disability, education and HIV and AIDS.
What was Mr Nelson Mandela’s vision during the apartheid era?
Mr Mandela’s vision during the apartheid era was for the eradication of apartheid. He envisioned a South Africa in which all its citizens had equal rights and where every adult would have the right to vote for the government of their choice.
What was apartheid?
Apartheid was the official policy of the National Party which came to power in 1948 in South Africa. It was the practice of official racial segregation. Under apartheid everyone in South Africa had to be classified according to a particular racial group. This determined where someone could be born, where they could live, where they could go to school, where they could work, where they could be treated if they were sick and where they could be buried when they died. Only white people could vote and they had the best opportunities and the most money spent on their facilities. Apartheid made others live in poverty. Black South Africans’ lives were strictly controlled. Many thousands of people died in the struggle to end apartheid.
What were Mr Nelson Mandela’s achievements in jail?
Mr Mandela was held in Robben Island Maximum Security Prison until 1982 after which he was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison and then to Victor Verster Prison. He withstood extremely harsh conditions in prison with dignity and fortitude. Other prisoners remark on how he became a leader of all the other prisoners, fighting for their rights to get better treatment, improved food, and study privileges. He encouraged fellow prisoners never to give away their dignity. He also became a unifier between prisoners belonging to different political organisations. In the latter part of his imprisonment, Mr Mandela initiated talks with the apartheid regime which ultimately led to peaceful negotiations in South Africa.
What were the names of Mr Nelson Mandela’s parents?
Mr Mandela’s father was Chief (Nkosi) Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela. His mother was Nosekeni Fanny Mandela.
Is Mr Mandela too old and frail to meet people?
Mr. Mandela is almost 90 years old and has the same challenges any other person of that age. He still enjoys meeting and interacting with a wide range of people. Now that he has retired and chooses to spend more time with his family and close friends, he needs to be more selective about who he meets. In the past year he has met a wide range of people, especially from local South African communities.
What beliefs and actions influenced Mr Nelson Mandela as a leader?
Mr Mandela’s actions were driven by an unshakeable belief in the equality of all people and his determination to overthrow the racist system of apartheid. Mr Mandela helped to organise and to lead many peaceful protest campaigns but after many violent disruptions by the state it became clear to him and his colleagues that the regime would not allow peaceful change. In 1961 they formed Umkhonto weSizwe (Spear of the Nation) – also known as MK as an army for freedom fighters and launched the armed struggle.
When is Mr Nelson Mandela’s birthday?
What date was Mr Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment?
What were the dates of Mr Nelson Mandela’s prison time?
He was arrested on 5 August 1962 and the following year sentenced to five years imprisonment for inciting people to strike and for leaving the country without a passport. He was sent to Robben Island Maximum Security Prison in May 1963. But in July 1963 he was brought to Pretoria to stand trial for sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial as most of the accused were arrested at a farm in a suburb of Johannesburg called Rivonia. That trial started in October 1963 and on 11 June 1964 eight of the nine accused were convicted of sabotage. The next day they were sentenced to life imprisonment.
When was Mr Nelson Mandela released from prison?
What does the name ‘Madiba’ mean?
Madiba is the name of the Thembu clan to which Mr Mandela belongs. It gets its name from a 19th century Thembu chief. All the members of this clan can also be called Madiba. Mr Mandela is called Madiba as a sign of both respect and affection.
Did Mr Nelson Mandela go to a multiracial school?
No. When Mr Mandela went to school there were no schools that children of different races could attend together. When he attended the University of the Witwatersrand, however, he was in a mixed-race law class.
What does the Nelson Mandela Foundation do?
The Nelson Mandela Foundation was started in 1999 as Mr Mandela’s office when he retired as president. Until 2006 it focused on supporting a wide range of projects dear to Mr Mandela’s heart. In 2007 the Foundation established the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory & Dialogue to promote Mr Mandela’s legacy. It contains an archive about the life and work of Mr Mandela which also attempts to provide links to the many other archival references to him and a Dialogue programme which seeks to foster Mr Mandela’s spirit of community and humanity in bringing people together to discuss a range of crucial issues facing South Africa and the world.
Who is the head of the Nelson Mandela Foundation?
The Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation is Mr Achmat Dangor.
How do you pronounce Graça Machel?
Gra-ssa Ma-shell.
How many brothers does Mr Nelson Mandela have?
Mr Mandela’s father had four wives and a total of 13 children. With Mr Mandela’s mother Nosekeni he had four children: Mr Mandela and three daughters. So Mr Mandela had three full sisters, three half brothers and six half sisters. For more information, see the Biography section.
How many people did Mr Nelson Mandela free?
The liberation movements freed all the people of South Africa, which had a population of approximately 40 million.
Is the quote about ‘deepest fear’ something that Mr Mandela said?
No. This is a quote by an American author called Marianne Williamson and it has been incorrectly attributed to Mr Mandela.