Demonstration outside treason trial court, 1956 NELSON MANDELA's name symbolises the strugagainst apartheid througho ed the most popular man in survey of Africans ancestry. 'Free Nelson emblazoned on countless banners across the world. This chant even reached the British hit parade of pop records. But who is Nelson Mandela?
Nelson Mandela Was born in 1918, the son of a tribal chief in the Transkei — now one of the so-called homelands where the apartheid regime forces the majority of Africans to live, below subsistence, a pool of cheap labour for Loe aces. mines of the white suprellacists Mandela began his resistance early when, as a third year college student, he was organising a boycott of the student council had been stripped of its powers. Expelled with him was Oliver Tambo, lifelong friend of Mandela ana now president or til Naliulla Congress.
Mandela then went to Johannesburg to study law.
In 1944 Mandela joined the ANC, which was spearheading opposition to the oppression of blacks South Africa.
Tambo others, Mandela formed the Youth League of the ANC March 1944. These youth leaders pushed for the ANC to adopt a more programme direct action, of strikes, boycotts and civil disobedience.
By 1949, following the of the Afrikaner governeal with its Yo apa theidue SueLane suc cessfully persuadec the ANC to adopt this stance In 1952, the ANC, working with the Indian Con gress other allies organised the Defiance Campaign. All over the country Africans, Indians colores HOTECO apartheid rules went to jail as a result.
Mandela became president of the ANC for the Transvaal province 1952. The regime's response to this popularity was a banning order, pronibiling Mandela from al tending gatherings collig Shim JohanIn 1956 he was nesbulg.