Blog # 12 ( Chapter 23 & 24)- Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela had pleaded guilty to 156 acts of public violence, and even Amnesty International asserted that he had committed violent crimes and had a fair trial and reasonable sentence of 27 years in prison. In spite of all that, he became South Africa's first president to win in a fully democratic election. His role in Africa's struggle for unity is now recognized. I guess, it's either people had forgotten about his crimes, chose not to remember it out of desperation for the needed change, or have truly just forgiven him.
Last Sunday, July 18, the U.N. commemorated the first "Nelson Mandela International Day." It was a resolution adopted in November 2009 by the 192-member world body which would now be a yearly remembrance of Mandela's contributions to Africa's liberation. Since I was not born in the 60's, when he became the leader and co-founder of the ANC's (African National Congress) armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe (abbreviated as MK), I realized that I knew almost nothing about him. So, I did a quick search. I learned that he initially committed to nonviolent resistance, but later on coordinated bombing campaigns against government targets like post offices, courts, government offices, and even the Johannesburg railway station which caused the death of many women and children. MK's move to armed struggle against the apartheid regime resulted in many civilian casualties especially in the 1980's. Mandela admitted that his group violated human rights that's why he and his ANC party members were prohibited from entering the U.S., and were branded as terrorists at some point.
Here's other interesting info about his life:
-----He was 75 yrs. old when he took office as South Africa's President in 1994.
-----He has been married 3 times and his last marriage was on his 80th birthday in 1998
-----His eldest son died in a car crash
-----His second son died of AIDS
-----His eldest daughter was married to a prince