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Nelson (Madiba) Mandela

Former President of South Africa

South Africa, Johannesburg, Government & Public Administration, The Presidency (past & future)


Nelson (Madiba) Rolihlahla Mandela

Birth Details:

Date of Birth: 18-07-1918   Place of Birth: Mvezo, Umtata, Eastern Cape

Country of Birth: South Africa   Nationality: South African

Current Position

President, Nelson Mandela's Children Foundation (2010 - present)

President, Nelson Mandela Foundation (2010 - present)

Co-founder & Member, The Elders (2007 - present)

Website

In Brief

Nelson Mandela is a qualified lawyer. He was the first South African president of a more democratic South Africa, elected in 1994 and serving until 1999. Prior to becoming president, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). In 1952 Mandela and Oliver Tambo had opened the first black legal firm in the country, and Mandela was both Transvaal president of the ANC and deputy national president. Mandela served 27 years in prison, some of which were on Robben Island. He was released from prison on 11 February 1990. Mandela has received more than 250 awards over four decades, most notably the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. His birthday 18 July has been named Mandela Day in his honour. UN observed the first ever annual 'Nelson Mandela Day' on Sunday, Jul 18 2010.

  • Professional
  • Personal
  • Noteworthy
  • In The News

Current Position(s)

President - Nelson Mandela's Children Foundation, South Africa
(2010 - present)
President - Nelson Mandela Foundation, South Africa
(2010 - present)
Co-founder & Member - The Elders, South Africa
(2007 - present)

Previous Position(s)

State President - Republic of South Africa
(1994 - 1999)
First Commander-in-Chief - Umkhonto we Sizwe
(1961 - 1962)
Partner - Legal Practice (with Oliver Tambo - first black legal partnership in SA)
(1952 - 1961)
National Volunteer-in-Chief - Defiance Campaign, ANC Youth League
(1952 - 1952)
Lawyer - Tambo & Mandela Attorneys
(1952 - 1956)
Attorney - Terblanche and Briggish
(1951 - 1952)
National Secretary - ANC Youth League
(1948 - 1952)
Articled Clerk - Witkin, Sidelsky and Eidelman
(1941 - 1951)

Higher Education

Honorary degree - Michigan State University
LLD Honoris Causa (2008)
Honorary degree - Open University, United Kingdom
Honorary Doctorate (2004)
Honorary degree - Britains' Open University
Honorary Doctorate (2004)
Honorary degree - Rhodes University, Grahamstown
Honorary Doctor of Laws (2002)
Honorary degree - University of the Witwatersrand
Honorary Doctorate (1991)
Honorary degree - York University, Toronto, Canada
Honorary Doctor of Laws (1989)
Honorary degree - University of Bologna
Honorary Degree in Political Science (1988)
Honorary degree - University of Carabobo, Venezuela
Honorary Doctorate (1988)
Honorary degree - Karl Marx University of the German Democratic Republic
Honorary Doctorate (1987)
Honorary degree - United States Ross University Medical School in the Caribbean
Honorary Degree (1987)
Honorary degree - University of Havana, Cuba
Honorary degree (1986)
Honorary degree - University of Michigan, USA
Honorary Degree (1986)
Honorary degree - University of Zimbabwe
Honorary Doctor of Laws (1986)
Honorary degree - Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
Honorary Doctor of Laws (1985)
Honorary degree - Free University of Brussels
Honorary Bachelor of Laws (1984)
Honorary degree - University of Lancaster, Britain
Honorary Doctor of Laws (1983)
Honorary degree - University of Lesotho
Honorary Doctor of Laws (1979)
Honorary degree - University of Oxford
Honorary Doctorate
Honorary degree - University of Cambridge
Honorary Doctorate
Qualification -
Attorney's Admission (1952)
Degree - University of the Witwatersrand
Bachelor of Law
Degree - University of South Africa
Bachelor of Arts (1942)

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