By Stuti Mohindra
On July 18, 1918 a boy was born in South Africa who was named Rolihlahla meaning trouble maker. He qualified in law and rose to become the first black President of South Africa. He was fondly called Madiba in his country. He was later awarded the noble peace prize. Contrary to name the “trouble maker” Mandela was bright, confident and a man whose integrity could not be questioned in a country where Mahatama Gandhi spent 21 years and sharpened his skills of mass protest and non violence; it was as if he passed a torch to Mandela whose aura of calmness and authority helped him in the struggle against injustice. He is regarded as the most significant black leader of South Africa and was responsible for dismantling apartheid. When he became the president he did not unleash vengeance on whites and tried to moderate the bitterness of blacks. He was brought up in royalty but renounced that regal self confidence and spent 27 in prison to free his country where crime, poverty, corruption and disease ruled the roost.
The prophet of peace was symbolic with the anti apartheid movement and worked relentlessly for transition of South Africa to a democratic country. His main contribution and place in people’s heart was because he was a catalyst whose struggle changed the totally apartheid state into a non racist one. It is he who showed the world that nothing is black or white and in the process became a real maker of history, ensuring democracy and freedom are not just mere words.
