Madiba's Life in Places
Places of significance to the life of Nelson Mandela.
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Mveso, Transkei - Nelson Mandela’s life was a requiem to the long struggle for freedom in South Africa.Here, we journey through time tracing the footsteps of the world’s most celebrated opponent to apartheid. — By Nikola Lashley In a tiny village on the banks of the Mbashe River in Transkei, Rolihlahla Mandela was born, in the Xhosa language his name translates as “troublemaker.” (Photo: Three Lions/Getty Images)
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Mqhekezweni, Provincial Capital of Thembuland - It was from here that Mandela was groomed for leadership.Following the death of his father, Nelson Mandela’s early life changed dramatically.At just nine years old, he was plunged into the privileged world of Africa’s elite as a member of the Mqhekezweni royal family. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Eastern Cape - In tracing Mandela’s journey we head to the Eastern Cape, home of the educational institutions he attended, including the University College of Fort Hare, which, was considered Africa’s Harvard.Eastern Cape is an important location from where Mandela set new limits for himself and envisioned a country that was free and fair for Black Africans. (Photo: courtesy University of Massachusetts at Amherst.)
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Soweto, Johannesburg - Around the world, from the outside looking in, Soweto became the epicenter of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa.It was from here, amidst bloody clashes, that the world first glimpsed Nelson Mandela’s formidable spirit. (Photo: Keystone/Getty Images)
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Robben Island - His prominent role in the African National Congress movement ultimately led to his arrest. Seeking justice by fair means or foul, he spearheaded the armed wing of the ANC known as MK and waged war on the white leaders of the day. In 1962, Mandela was arrested and convicted of overthrowing the state; he was sentenced to 27 years in prison. He spent 18 of those 27 years on Robben Island. (Photo: MH/Reuters)
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Transvaal Province - It began as a peaceful protest in the 1960s with Blacks calling for equal rights and ended in a massacre.That day in the South African township of Sharpville, in what was then the Transvaal province, 69 Black protesters were gunned down by the South African police.The Sharpville Massacre became a catalyst for change. (Photo: Central Press/Getty Images)
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Victor Verster Prison, Western Cape - Hand-in-hand with his second wife, Winnie, fist raised, on Sunday, Feb. 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela walked to freedom from Victor Verster Prison in the Western Cape.Just four years later, he became the first black president of South Africa. (Photo: ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images)
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Pretoria, South Africa - As the former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela received health care from the Military Hospital in Pretoria.For three days, his body will lay in state at the hospital’s Union Buildings, where ordinary South Africans can sign the condolences book and say their final goodbyes to Madiba. (Photo: Michelly Rall/Getty Images)