Nelson Mandela  Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (Xhosa pronunciation:
[xoˈliːɬaɬa manˈdeːla]; born 18 July 1918) is a South African
anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as President
of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, the first to be elected in a
fully representative democratic election. His administration
focused on dismantling apartheid's legacy, cutting poverty and
inequality. Politically left-wing, he served as president of the
African National Congress (ANC) political party from 1990 to
1999.  Born to the Thembu royal family, Mandela attended Fort
Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand, studying
law. Living in Johannesburg townships and becoming involved in
anti-colonial politics, he joined the ANC, becoming a founding
member of its Youth League. When the National Party government
implemented apartheid in 1948, he rose to prominence in the
ANC's 1952 Defiance Campaign, being elected president of the
Transvaal ANC branch and overseeing the 1955 Congress of the
People. Working as a lawye