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Nelson Mandela: One Man
Year
2011
Language
ENGLISH
Duration
50m
Rating
NR
CC
Publication Information
Shami Media Group
Summary
One Man - An Unauthorized Story on Nelson Mandela The healing of South Africa began with the destruction of the Apartheid regime, and continued with the election of the continent's most famous former political prisoner, Nelson Mandela, as its first President. 'One Man' – an unauthorized story on Nelson Mandela not only traces the personal story and struggle of South Africa's most famous leader, but also charts the history of racism in the country, from the arrival of the Afrikaans, to the upheaval and segregation of Apartheid and finally, the dismantling of the cruel regime in the 1990's. Mandela was born of tribal royalty, his given name Frolala meaning "troublemaker". He was the first in his family to attend school. On his first day his teacher would give him his distinctly English name, which would stick for life. Yet it was his birth name that would prove most apt, when as a college student he was expelled for joining in a protest boycott. Nelson later worked as a miner, for the first time experiencing the injustice of racism, which was rife in the industry. Leaving mining after finishing his arts degree by correspondence, he began to study law, in the hope of being able to make changes from the inside. In 1944 he entered the African National Congress and entered politics in earnest. For many blacks during the Apartheid regime, life was a series of hardships and indignities. Everything – including park benches and toilets – was subject to segregation. Blacks had no voting rights and were often forced to live in rural outposts known as shanty-towns. The ANC planned a program of peaceful resistance to the changes, including demonstrations, boycotts and strikes. Mandela himself was instrumental in the formation of the multi-racial "Congress of the People" and the development of its freedom charter, considered a model document for human rights. By the mid-1950's Mandela's first marriage broke down due to his wife's inability to cope with her husband's political views. The South African government also found fault with Mandela's belief system, and he was one of 156 race leaders arrested for high treason. During the long, arduous trial he met and married the love of his life, Winnie. A smart and motivated woman, Winnie was Johannesburg's first black social worker, along with supporting Nelson's bid to extricate himself from the charge of treason. He was acquitted, but was later imprisoned for life, barely escaping the death penalty. Finally freed in 1990 after 27 years, Mandela didn't stop to celebrate his freedom long before setting to work to dismantle Apartheid, with the help of his wife and South African Prime Minister, F.W DeClerk. Nelson himself became leader, as well as receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1999. Bonus Features: