At this time, there are more than seven billion people residing on the planet. There is a Nelson Mandela among them. But, the man is someone who comes along once in a millennia or less. He belongs to the legends like Jesus, Gandhi, Buddha etc. who left their indelible mark on the planet like no one ever did before.

Nelson Mandela, fondly called as Madiba by the South African people, is a freedom fighter who fought for the rights of the black population in the country. During his early years, he wanted to fight for the black community without seeking the help of other communities. He thought it was the duty of the African tribes to fight for their rights without seeking the help of communists, whites, Indians etc. who live in the country. Many among these groups were supporting Mandela and his struggles.

Later, Nelson Mandela started working in tandem with the communists, the Indian community under the guidance of Gandhi, and the liberals among the white community.

The lack of progress in ANC (African National Congress)’s efforts to secure a better life for the black community forced Mandela to turn in to militancy. During the 1950s, he associated with extremist elements in the organization and started violent protects in the country. They attacked the government establishments like power stations at night time, so as to reduce human casualties.

The South African government arrested Nelson Mandela and gave him multiple jail sentences. Eventually, he was given life imprisonment that lasted from the 1960s and went on to the beginning of the 1990s. The white majority government gave him many chances to leave prison. But, he never agreed to the conditions they wanted him to agree. They wanted Mandela to stop the struggle against the government. He was not willing to give up the fight for his people, just for obtaining the luxury for his personal freedom.

Eventually, the South African government was forced by international pressure to release Mandela from jail and allow him to participate in general elections. He won the first election and became the first democratically elected president of South Africa.

Unlike many other African leaders, Nelson Mandela was able to leave the bitter memories of the past struggles behind him. During his presidency, he was able to join hands with the white minority, and work towards the common goal of the country. Again, he left office after just one term in presidency, when he could have retained the presidency for another term or more.  Those are just two wonderful traits among the so many that led to the creation of the legend of Mandela.