What did Nelson Mandela do that was so great?

Question

I seriously want to understand what all the hype is about. I saw him get out of jail on the news and then he had a big party on TV like last week. Why?

Answer 1

He spent decades in prison for being part of the African National Congress that fought apartheid in South Africa. He was released by the white minority in order to bring peace to SA.  Since his release, he has been held up as a symbol of someone who endured his imprisonment without being bitter.  His status may overblown, but history and mythmaking sometimes merge.

Answer 2

From prison, Mr Mandela negotiated with the then Apartheid government to help call off the terrorist war that was planting bombs and mines all over South Africa in return for the end of apartheid and the formation of a democratic government (i.e. all to be given the vote) and a Bill of Rights.  Once he was out of prison he became President of South Africa and helped put the country on the road to democracy, including the "Truth and Reconciliation" hearings where people on both sides of Apartheid were given a pardon if they came forward, confessed to the murders, bombings etc. they had carried out over the years and said how sorry they were  to the victims and their families etc.  These hearings were televised and on occasion were very emotional, but (supposedly) helped to clear all the hatred between the races and political parties so that South Africa could put aside the past and move forward .  He was awarded the Nobel Peace prize along with the then President of the country F W de Klerk .

Answer 3

He didn't die, lol. I thought a decent martyr had to die young.

Answer 4

read about him here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mand...

Answer 5

He managed to be taken off the US terrorist list.  He blew stuff up.

Answer 6

He fought apartheid and won for the black people of South Africa

Answer 7

Nelson Mandela was jailed and is a criminal.How can a criminal be in the UN and have a voice in the world of today.

Answer 8

He works for the rights of human.

Answer 9

Don't believe some pple still haven't heard of the man Mandela. Well he stands for every good things you can imagine. Great integrity, intelligence, and long suffering.

Respect.

Answer 10

The party was for his 90th birthday as for what he did nothing for the English, he was a supposedly a rebel against white rule in Africa, spent many years in goal for it, and is now looking at an Africa that has millions starving not enough intelligent politicians to run most of it, or to even overthrow a tin can army lead by another crank that thinks he's Idi Armin's twin Robert Mugabe, and why not ask what hes wife's done to make her great ?

Answer 11

He was a reformed terrorist.

Channa - so you know that all the people he killed were racist? Your assumption is sicking it's just like saying all Muslims are terrorists! Which they are not!

And I do not see a difference between a racist of what ever colour - so why do you say white? are you a racist?

Answer 12

he kill many racist white peoples who by the way have taken over  the native south Africa peoples land . it's no different from what the White man did to the  native Americans here i hope by brothers and sisters in the mother land keep fighting to get back what is rightfully their if that mean blowing more white peoples  up so be it.

Answer 13

Seriously I cant think of anything, he was released from jail and become president. Now I ask u- how da h**l can that b? Any how last weeks celebration was 4 his birthday. He is no true hero though

Answer 14

He has a nice smile.

Answer 15

He was held in a cell alone for 26 years with no contact with the outside world.

He was a member of a terrorist group who wanted to end apartheid.

It's a bit like having a big party for Gerry Adams.

Answer 16

He was involved in terrorism in his younger days.

Answer 17

nothing..hes just another terrorist piehole

Answer 18

He spent 26 years in prison just for wanting black people to have the same rights as white people in, what was after all there own country. Until he came out of prison black people couldn't even vote so they had absolutely no legal way of changing the system. To say he was a terrorist is to massively over simplify the matter but for those people with limited intelligence it is really all they can do. On the whole he and his group inflicted much less "terror" than the government did.

Answer 19

try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mand...

or read Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

maj

Answer 20

He was a political activist, fighting against the racist and oppressive South African government.

I suggest you read up on apartheid. Legal and political racism which meant that simply by the colour of your skin your were denied legal rights.

Imagine being told that you and your family were not allowed to do certain things by law simply because you were white...

Answer 21

He became famous because he said things other people were thinking, this made his very popular and as a result his popularity catapulted him into a position where all the bad things he has done are over looked,

Answer 22

He made it legal to be black in South Africa.

He helped overthrow the apartheid regime there, which was extremely opressive to the black natives.

Answer 23

The world has a huge guilt complex over the plight of blacks.

Answer 24

He was a terrorist. He has helped to contribute to the mess that South Africa is today. People seem to be too retarded to see people for what they really are. Mind wipe. How can a criminal that spent 27 years behind bars for bombing government buildings (and the rest) become President of that country within months of being released from Prison? If someone doesn't see something weird going on here then they must be pretty stupid. South Africa has gone to the dogs since the ending of Apartheid. Ask any honest South African and they will tell you exactly that.