Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was also the country’s first black head of state. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1962, and, following the Rivonia Trial, was sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiring to overthrow the state. Mandela was a controversial figure for much of his life, he gained international acclaim for his activism. Globally regarded as an icon of democracy and social justice, he received more than 250 honours, including the Nobel Peace Prize. He is held in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often described as the “Father of the Nation”.

One of my favourite quotes of his is:

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)