Nelson Mandela - a Leader I Admire

Assignment: A leader I admire

NELSON MANDELA

Born on July, 18, 1918, Nelson Mandela is one of the greatest African Leaders to have ever walked on the surface of Africa. He led South Africa to independence. He started fighting for his people's independence from 1956 and finally achieved his objective after 1990. A lot of individuals would have given up after a few years but Mr. Mandela endured 34 years, most of the time spent in prison, of battling with the then colonial masters.

He was passionate about freeing his people and never lost focus. He was elected the first black president in 1994 and willingly stepped down in 1999. He is usually referred to as "Father of the Nation" or "Madiba" which is the tribe to which he belongs.

Uncharacteristic of some African leaders who led their country to independence from colonial rule, Mandela did not hold on to power. Some analysts have attributed the fact that there has not been a coup d'état in South Africa to Mandela's honorable gesture. After Mandela stepped down as president, he went to work with his NGO, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, that focused on controlling the rate of HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

In summary, Mandela was committed, passionate and had great vision. The outcome of these attributes is the comparatively well-developed South Africa we see today.