Nelson Mandela , a Zulu prince, could not vote in his own country. The racist system of Apartheid took away his citizenship. After becoming the first black S.African lawyer in S. Africa in 1939,he joins the ANC, the African National Congress. Mandela eventually becomes its leader.in 1943. In 1952 he , along with friend and ally Oliver Tambo, form the first black legal firm in S. Africa. He refuses to abide by the laws that condemn him to a second class status. The Sharpeville Massacre of 1960 changes Mr. Mandela. After.69 black S. Africans are murdered and another 150 are wounded, Mandela rejects non-violence and goes underground. In 1960,he forms a military branch of the ANC, the Spear of the nation.Mandela is charges with acts of sabotage and terrorism against the South African Government and sentenced to life in prison on Robben Island in 1964. He is released in 1990 , after 27 years in prison,and is elected president in 1994. It was the first time that Nelson Mandela voted. He said that it was the first time that he felt like a complete man.
Why and how did Mandela challenge the South African Government and what lessons were learned?
Mandela, in his first press conference, after his release from prison in 1990.