5th December 2013
It is with the deepest regret that we have learned of the passing of our founder, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela – Madiba. The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa will shortly make further official announcements.
We want to express our sadness at this time. No words can adequately describe this enormous loss to our nation and to the world.
We give thanks for his life, his leadership, his devotion to humanity and humanitarian causes. We salute our friend, colleague and comrade and thank him for his sacrifices for our freedom. The three charitable organisations that he created dedicate ourselves to continue promoting his extraordinary legacy.
Hamba Kahle Madiba
To support the government and the Mandela family we will endeavour where possible to assist with access to information.
Arrangements for the laying to rest of former President Nelson Mandela
Media accreditation arrangements for the State Funeral of President Nelson Mandela
For a background document on the history and work of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and The Mandela Rhodes Foundation, as well as details of how to support their work, please click here.
Nelson Mandela’s retirement video: http://youtu.be/X9jKQM3Mi9QMessages can be entered by submitting the form below following the directions. We undertake to collect all messages received and hand them to Madiba’s family.
When Mr Nelson Mandela announced his withdrawal from public life at an international media conference in Johannesburg on 1 June 2004, he explained that his humanitarian work would henceforth be passed on to the three designated organisations he had established to promote specific aspects of his legacy.
The three organisations are the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and The Mandela Rhodes Foundation.
The organisations are independent of one another but co-operate closely, and they abide by a Memorandum of Understanding signed by their respective Chief Executives in Mr Mandela’s presence in 2006. All three organisations are registered charities.
Nelson Mandela Children's Fund strives to change the way society treats its children and youth. Its flagship project as Nelson R. Mandela's lasting wish is to build a dedicated children's hospital for the children of Southern Africa. To know more about this, please go to www.nelsonmandelachildrenshospital.org
The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, established by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, is tasked with giving practical expression to the memory and dialogue aspects of Mr Mandela’s legacy. The Centre of Memory provides an integrated public information resource on the life and times of Nelson Mandela and convenes dialogue around critical social issues.
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation was established as a partnership between Mr Mandela and the Rhodes Trust, administrators of the Rhodes Scholarships, and it identifies and nurtures future generations of excellent, ethical leaders in Africa. The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships constitute its flagship programme, and more than 200 Scholars have been elected from across the African continent.
In his 2004 retirement speech Mr Mandela said:
“My diary and my public activities will, as from today, be severely and significantly reduced … This does not mean, however, that the work we have been involved in, supported and promoted, comes to an end. It has been our practice to establish organisations to do certain work and then to leave it to those organisations to get on with the job.
“The leaders of the organisations are present here today as proof and assurance that our work will continue, perhaps in an even more focussed way now that the attention shifts from the individual to the organisations.
“We are now able to concentrate very clearly on the work of these three independent but interlinked legacy organisations. I am very satisfied to tell you they are in full alignment with one another, each charged with giving expression to a specific aspect of human development. The work of the three foundations is distinct but complementary and supportive of one another.
“I hope that you all will be as excited as I am about what will be achieved by these three highly functional and well organised bodies working in our name. I hope you will also get a clear picture of how much care and thought has gone into aligning these structures and preparing them for playing a major role in South Africa and Africa for many years to come.”
Mr Mandela appealed for support for the organisations, making it clear that he wished them to operate in perpetuity, and he charged his Trustees and staff with ensuring that the institutions were financially sustainable via adequate endowments. Those who wished to support his work, he said, could choose among the organisations according to the donors’ own areas of interest.
Further details can be obtained from:
Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund: Sibongile Mkhabela, bongim@nmcf.co.za, Telephone + 27 71 356 4853
Nelson Mandela Foundation: Sello Hatang, SelloH@nelsonmandela.org, Telephone + 27 82 8689944
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation: Shaun Johnson, ceomrf@mandelarhodes.org.za, Telephone +27 82 449 9995
By donating to Mr Mandela’s organisations you will be helping to sustain a unique legacy that contributes to the making of a just society. We deeply appreciate donations of any value and all donations are acknowledged. These are non-profit organisations and are compliant with all relevant financial regulations.
For persons residing in South Africa and the rest of the world - Donate online
For persons residing in the UK and Europe - Donate online
http://www.facebook.com/nelsonmandela
https://twitter.com/nelsonmandela
https://www.facebook.com/NMChildrensFund
https://twitter.com/mandelarhodes
For a chronology of the life and times of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, click hereTo condense all of Mr Nelson Mandela's achievements into one chronology would be impossible; as a result, we do not claim that our work here is comprehensive. Below you will find a chronology of important events in his life. It is a work in progress and we are happy to receive your comments or additions.
Year | Date | Event |
---|---|---|
1918 | July 18 |
Born Rolihlahla Mandela at Mvezo in the Transkei |
1925 |
Attends primary school near Qunu (receives the name ‘Nelson’ from a teacher) |
|
Circa 1930 |
Entrusted to Thembu Regent Jongintaba Dalindyebo |
|
1934 |
Undergoes initiation; Attends Clarkebury Boarding Institute in Engcobo |
|
1937 |
Attends Healdtown, the Wesleyan College at Fort Beaufort |
|
1939 |
Enrols at the University College of Fort Hare, in Alice |
|
1940 |
Expelled |
|
1941 |
Escapes an arranged marriage; becomes a mine night watchman; Starts articles at the law firm Witkin, Sidelsky & Eidelman |
|
1942 |
Completes BA through the University of South Africa (UNISA) |
|
1942 |
Begins to attend African National Congress (ANC) meetings informally |
|
1943 |
Graduates with BA from Fort Hare; Enrols for an LLB at Wits University |
|
1944 |
Co-founds the ANC Youth League (ANCYL); marries Evelyn Ntoko Mase – they have four children: Thembekile (1945); Makaziwe (1947 – who dies after nine months); Makgatho (1950); Makaziwe (1954) |
|
1948 |
Elected national secretary of the ANCYL |
|
1951 |
Elected President of the ANCYL |
|
1952 |
Defiance Campaign begins; Arrested and charged for violating the Suppression of Communism Act; Elected Transvaal ANC President; Convicted with J.S Moroka, Walter Sisulu and 17 others under the Suppression of Communism Act; Sentenced to nine months imprisonment with hard labour, suspended for two years; Elected first of ANC deputy presidents; Opens South Africa’s first black law firm with Oliver Tambo |
|
1953 |
Devises the M-Plan for the ANC’s future underground operations |
|
1955 |
Watches as the Congress of the People at Kliptown launches the Freedom Charter |
|
1956 |
Arrested and joins 155 others on trial for Treason. All are acquitted by 29 March 1961 |
|
1958 |
Divorces Evelyn Mase; Marries Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela – they have two daughters: Zenani (1959) and Zindzi (1960) |
|
1960 | March 21 |
Sharpeville Massacre |
March 30 |
A State of Emergency imposed and he is among thousands detained |
|
April 8 |
The ANC is banned |
|
1961 |
Goes underground; Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) is formed |
|
1962 | January 11 |
Leaves the country for military training and to garner support for the ANC |
July 23 |
Returns to South Africa |
|
August 5 |
Arrested near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal |
|
November 7 |
Sentenced to five years in prison for incitement and leaving the country without a passport |
|
1963 | May 27 |
Sent to Robben Island |
June 12 |
Returned to Pretoria Local Prison | |
October 9 |
Appears in court for the first time in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial, with Walter Sisulu, Denis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Lionel 'Rusty' Bernstein, Raymond Mhlaba, James Kantor, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni |
|
December 3 |
Pleads not guilty to sabotage in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial |
|
1964 | June 11 |
All except Rusty Bernstein and James Kantor are convicted and sentenced (June 12) to life |
June 13 |
Arrives on Robben Island |
|
1969 | July 13 |
Thembekile is killed in a car accident |
1982 | March 31 |
Mr Mandela, Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba and Andrew Mlangeni and later Ahmed Kathrada are sent to Pollsmoor Prison |
1985 | February 10 |
Rejects, through his daughter, Zindzi, South African President PW Botha's offer to release him if he renounces violence |
1985 | November 3 |
Admitted to the Volks Hospital for prostate surgery |
November 23 |
Discharged from Volks Hospital and returned to Pollsmoor Prison |
|
1988 | August 12 |
Admitted to Tygerberg Hospital where he is diagnosed with Tuberculosis |
August 31 |
Admitted to Constantiaberg MediClinic |
|
December 7 |
Moved to Victor Verster Prison in Paarl where he was held for 14 months in a cottage |
|
1990 | February 2 |
ANC is unbanned |
1990 | February 11 |
Released |
March 2 |
Elected ANC Deputy President |
|
1993 | December 10 |
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with FW de Klerk |
1994 | April 27 |
Votes for the first time in his life |
May 9 |
Elected by Parliament as first president of a democratic South Africa |
|
May 10 |
Inaugurated as President of the Republic of South Africa |
|
December 14 |
Launches his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom | |
1995 |
Establishes the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund |
|
1996 |
Divorces Winnie Mandela |
|
1998 | July 18 |
Marries Graça Machel on his 80th birthday |
1999 |
Steps down after one term as President, establishes the Nelson Mandela Foundation |
|
2001 |
Diagnosed with prostate cancer |
|
2003 |
Establishes the Mandela Rhodes Foundation |
|
2004 | June 1 |
Announces that he will be stepping down from public life |
2005 | January 6 |
Announces that his eldest son Makgatho had died of AIDS |
2007 | April 13 |
Attends the installation of his grandson Mandla as chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council |
2008 | July 18 |
Turns 90 years old, asks future generations to continue the fight for social justice |
2009 |
Votes for the fourth time in his life; Attends the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma on May 9 and witnesses Zuma's first State of the Nation address; Turns 91 |
|
2010 |
Is formally presented with the Fifa World Cup trophy before it embarks on a tour of South Africa |
|
2010 | June 11 |
His great-granddaughter Zenani is killed in a car accident |
2010 | June 17 |
Attends the funeral of his great-granddaughter Zenani |
2010 | July 11 |
Makes a surprise appearance at the Final of the Fifa World Cup in Soweto |
2010 | July |
Celebrates his 92nd birthday at home in Johannesburg with family and friends |
2010 | October 12 |
His second book Conversations with Myself is published |
2010 | November 18 |
Meets the South African and American football teams that played in the Mandela Challenge match |
2011 | January |
Is admitted to hospital in Johannesburg where he was diagnosed with a chest infection. He is discharged after two nights |
2011 | May 16 |
Votes in the local government elections |
2011 | June 27 |
His book Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations is launched |
2011 | June 21 |
Is visited at home by American First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia |
2011 | July 18 |
Celebrates his 93rd birthday with his family in Qunu, Eastern Cape |
2011 | October 21 |
Is officially counted in South Africa’s Census 2011 |
2011 | December 25 |
Spends Christmas with family in Qunu |
2012 | February 25 |
Admitted to hospital for abdominal complaint |
February 26 |
Discharged from hospital |
|
2012 |
July 18 |
Celebrates his 94th birthday with his family in Qunu, Eastern Cape |
December 8 |
Is admitted to hospital | |
December 26 |
Is discharged from hospital | |
2013 | January 1 |
Spends New Year’s Day with members of his family in Johannesburg |
March 9 |
Is admitted to hospital |
|
March 10 |
Is discharged from hospital |
|
March 27 |
Is admitted to hospital |
|
April 6 |
Is discharged from hospital |
|
June 8 |
Is admitted to hospital |
|
July 18 |
Spends his 95th birthday in hospital |
|
September 1 |
Is discharged from hospital |
|
December 5 |
Dies 5th December 2013 |