The anti-apartheid leader was a beloved figure around the world, and a symbol of reconciliation from a country with a brutal history of racism. Mandela became South Africa’s first black president after the first all-race elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid.
In 1962, he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment. Mandela served 27 years in prison from 1964 to 1982, spending many of those years at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town. Mandela served 27 years in prison from 1964 to 1982, spending many of those years at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town. It is this imprisonment that has been linked to the multiple health problems he’d suffered over the years.
READ: Nelson Mandela’s 5 Surprising Health Conditions
In 1994, in a historic election, Mandela became the nation’s first black leader. He stepped down in 1999 after a single term and retired from political and public life.
More recently, he had mostly been absent from the political scene for the past several years due to poor health. However, he continued to receive high-profile visitors, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
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Nelson Mandela Dies was originally published on blackdoctor.org
