Nelson Mandela - The man of the 20th century

Down the centuries, each era of human development has shown an extraordinary capacity to produce leaders of great stature. The passing of Nelson Mandela has taken from the South African people, and the world at large, one of the greatest figures of this or any age.

There can be little doubt that the former president and Nobel Peace prize winner, affectionately known as the Father of South Africa and endearingly called by his clan name Madiba, will long be remembered by millions of people around the world and in the pages of history as the man of the 20th century.

By any yardstick, his was an amazing life. As a young lawyer and fearless revolutionary, he spearheaded the struggle for justice and freedom for South Africa’s black population. He championed the cause of people who had been brutalised, systematically reduced to third-class citizenship, deprived of education, consigned to ramshackle shanty towns and relegated to abject poverty in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.