Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (IPA: [roli'ɬaɬa]) (Mvezo, Union of South Africa, July 18, 1918 - Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, December 5, 2013), 1 2 was a lawyer, politician, leader of the National Congress African (CNA) and commander of Umkhonto we Sizwe guerrilla organization (MK) or "Spear of the Nation '.3 in the words of van Engeland and Rudolph (2007), a political terrorist happened to become president of South Africa (1994 - 1999).

He led the South African branch of the violent opposition to the apartheid regime to sabotage first and then murders and landmine attacks and armed incursions. In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, to life in prison.]] Most of the more than 27 years he spent in prison were spent in the prison-island Robben Island.

After his release on February 11, 1990, Mandela worked with then South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk, representing his party in the negotiations for a multi-racial democracy in South Africa that led to the first elections with universal suffrage , 1994. Upon landslide victory of the ANC, Mandela was elected president by the parlamento.4 for his work in common, Mandela and de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.5 his priority was frequently on national reconciliation, progress the country and the literacy infancia.6

His last public appearance was on July 11, 2010 in the final of the football World Cup in South Africa 2010. Passed away on December 5, 2013.