PRINCE PETER HAUROVI: NELSON MANDELA THE GREAT

REALISM PAINTING by Prince Peter Havurovi

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THEME:  NELSON MANDELA THE GREAT

 

                                              

"With this painting l was trying to express Mandela as a man of happiness.If you look deep on the painting if you are on the right side of the painting in Mandela's eyes you will see  tears of joy showing that this man had extra love for his people and abroad."-Prince Peter Haurovi

THE HISTORY IF NELSON MANDELA

 

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918,in Mvezo, Transkei, South Africa. Becoming actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement in his 20s, Mandela joined the African Nationa Congress in 1942. For 20 years, he directed a campaign of peaceful, nonviolent defiance against the South African government and its racist policies. In 1993, Mandela and South Africa President F.W. de Klerk were jointly awarded the  Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to dismantle the country's apartheid system. In 1994, Mandela

was inaugurated as South Africa's first black president. In 2009, Mandela 's birthday (July 18)

was declared "Mandela Day" to promote global peace and celebrate the South African leader's

legacy. Mandela died at his home in Johannesburg on December 5, 2013Early LifeEarly Life

Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918, in the tiny village of Mvezo, on the

banks of the Mbashe River in Transkei, South Africa. "Rolihlahla" in the Xhosa language literally

means "pulling the branch of a tree," but more commonly translates as "troublemaker."

Mandela was baptized in the Methodist Church. He went on to become the first in his family to attend

school. As was custom at the time, and probably due to the bias of the British educational system

in South Africa, Mandela's teacher told him that his new first name would be Nelson.

 

When Mandela was 9 years old, his father died of lung disease, causing his life to change

dramatically. He was adopted by Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo, the acting regent of the Thembu

people—a gesture done as a favor to Mandela's father, who, years earlier, had recommended

Jongintaba be made chief. Mandela subsequently left the carefree life he knew in Qunu, fearing that

he would never see his village again. He traveled by motorcar to Mqhekezweni, the provincial capital

of Thembuland, to the chief's royal residence.Though he had not forgotten his beloved village of

Qunu, he quickly adapted to the new, more sophisticated surroundings of Mqhekezweni.

Mandela was given the same status and responsibilities as the regent's two other children,

his son and oldest child, Justice, and daughter Nomafu. Mandela took classes in a one-room

school next to the palace, studying English, Xhosa, history and geography. It was during this period

that Mandela developed an interest in African history, from elder chiefs who came to the Great

Palace on official business. He learned how the African people had lived in relative peace until the

coming of the white people. According to the elders, the children of South Africa had previously

lived as brothers, but white men had shattered this fellowship. While black men shared their land, air

and water with whites, white men took all of these things for themselves.

When Mandela was 16, it was time for him to partake in the traditional African circumcision ritual

to mark his entrance into manhood. The ceremony of circumcision was not just a surgical procedure,

but an elaborate ritual in preparation for manhood. In African tradition, an uncircumcised man cannot

inherit his father's wealth, marry or officiate at tribal rituals. Mandela participated in the ceremony

with 25 other boys. He welcomed the opportunity to partake in his people's customs and felt ready

to make the transition from boyhood to manhood. His mood shifted during the proceedings, however,

when Chief Meligqili, the main speaker at the ceremony, spoke sadly of the young men,

explaining that they were enslaved in their own country. Because their land was controlled by

white men, they would never have the power to govern themselves, the chief said. He went on to

lament that the promise of the young men wouldbe squandered as they struggled to make a living

and perform mindless chores for white men. Mandela would later say that while the chief's

words didn't make total sense to him at the time,they would eventually formulate his resolve for an

independent South Africa.

From the time Mandela came under the guardianship of Regent Jongintaba, he was groomed to assume high office, not as a chief, but a counselor to one. As Thembu royalty, Mandela

attended a Wesleyan mission school, the Clarkebury Boarding Institute and Wesleyan

College, where, he would later state, he achieved academic success through "plain hard work." He

also excelled at track and boxing. Mandela was initially mocked as a "country boy" by his

Wesleyan classmates, but eventually became friends with several students, including Mathona,

his first female friend. In 1939, Mandela enrolled at the University College of Fort Hare, the only residential center of higher learning for blacks in South Africa at the time. Fort Hare was considered Africa's equivalent of the University of Oxford or Harvard University, drawing scholars from all parts of sub-Sahara Africa. In his first year at the university, Mandela took the required courses, but focused on Roman Dutch law to prepare for a career in civil service as an interpreter or clerk—regarded as the best profession that a black man could obtain at the time.

 In his second year at Fort Hare, Mandela was elected to the Student Representative Council. For

some time, students had been dissatisfied with the food and lack of power held by the SRC. During

this election, a majority of students voted to boycott unless their demands were met. Aligning

with the student majority, Mandela resigned from his position. Seeing this as an act of

insubordination, the university's Dr. Kerr expelled Mandela for the rest of the year and gave him an

ultimatum: He could return to the school if he agreed to serve on the SRC. When Mandela

returned home, the regent was furious, telling him unequivocally that he would have to recant his

decision and go back to school in the fall. Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela on

July 18, 1918, in the tiny village of Mvezo, on the banks of the Mbashe River in Transkei, South

Africa. "Rolihlahla" in the Xhosa language literally means "pulling the branch of a tree," but more

commonly translates as "troublemaker." Nelson Mandela's father, who was destined to be

a chief, served as a counselor to tribal chiefs for several years, but lost both his title and fortune

over a dispute with the local colonial magistrate. Mandela was only an infant at the time, and his

father's loss of status forced his mother to move the family to Qunu, an even smaller village north

of Mvezo. The village was nestled in a narrow grassy valley; there were no roads, only foot paths

that linked the pastures where livestock grazed. The family lived in huts and ate a local harvest of

maize, sorghum, pumpkin and beans, which was all they could afford. Water came from springs and

streams and cooking was done outdoors. Mandela played the games of young boys, acting out male

rights-of-passage scenarios with toys he made from the natural materials available, including tree

branches and clay.

At the suggestion of one of his father's friends, Mandela was baptized in the Methodist Church. He

went on to become the first in his family to attend school. As was custom at the time, and probably

due to the bias of the British educational system in South Africa, Mandela's teacher told him that

his new first name would be Nelson. When Mandela was 9 years old, his father died of

lung disease, causing his life to change dramatically. He was adopted by Chief Jongintaba

Dalindyebo, the acting regent of the Thembu people—a gesture done as a favor to Mandela's

father, who, years earlier, had recommended Jongintaba be made chief. Mandela subsequently

left the carefree life he knew in Qunu, fearing that he would never see his village again. He traveled

by motorcar to Mqhekezweni, the provincial capital of Thembuland, to the chief's royal residence.

Though he had not forgotten his beloved village of Qunu, he quickly adapted to the new, more

sophisticated surroundings of Mqhekezweni. Mandela was given the same status and responsibilities as the regent's two other children, his son and oldest child, Justice, and daughte. Nomafu. Mandela took classes in a one-room school next to the palace, studying English, Xhosa history and geography. It was during this period that Mandela developed an interest in Africa history, from elder chiefs who came to the Great

Palace on official business. He learned how the African people had lived in relative peace until the

coming of the white people. According to the elders, the children of South Africa had previously

lived as brothers, but white men had shattered this fellowship. While black men shared their land, air

and water with whites, white men took all of these things for themselves.

 

When Mandela was 16, it was time for him to partake in the traditional African circumcision ritual

to mark his entrance into manhood. The ceremony of circumcision was not just a surgical procedure,

but an elaborate ritual in preparation for manhood. In African tradition, an uncircumcised man cannot

inherit his father's wealth, marry or officiate attribal rituals. Mandela participated in the ceremony with 25 other boys. He welcomed the opportunity to partake in his people's customs and felt ready

to make the transition from boyhood to manhood. His mood shifted during the proceedings, however,

when Chief Meligqili, the main speaker at the ceremony, spoke sadly of the young men, explaining that they were enslaved in their own country. Because their land was controlled by white men, they would never have the power to govern themselves, the chief said. He went on to lament that the promise of the young men would be squandered as they struggled to make a living and perform mindless chores for white men.

Mandela would later say that while the chief's words didn't make total sense to him at the time,

they would eventually formulate his resolve for an independent South Africa.

From the time Mandela came under the guardianship of Regent Jongintaba, he was groomed to assume high office, not as a chief, but a counselor to one. As Thembu royalty, Mandela attended a Wesleyan mission school, the Clarkebury Boarding Institute and Wesleya College, where, he would later state, he achieved

academic success through "plain hard work." He also excelled at track and boxing. Mandela was

initially mocked as a "country boy" by his Wesleyan classmates, but eventually became

friends with several students, including Mathona, his first female friend In 1939, Mandela enrolled at the University College of Fort Hare, the only residential center of higher learning for blacks in South Africa at the time. Fort Hare was considered Africa's equivalent of the University of Oxford or Harvard University, drawing scholars from all parts of sub-Sahara Africa. In his first year at the university, Mandela took the

required courses, but focused on Roman Dutch law to prepare for a career in civil service as an

interpreter or clerk—regarded as the best profession that a black man could obtain at the

time.

 In his second year at Fort Hare, Mandela was elected to the Student Representative Council. For

some time, students had been dissatisfied with the food and lack of power held by the SRC. During

this election, a majority of students voted to boycott unless their demands were met. Aligning

with the student majority, Mandela resigned from his position. Seeing this as an act of insubordination, the university's Dr. Kerr expelled Mandela for the rest of the year and gave him an ultimatum: He could return to the school if he agreed to serve on the SRC. When Mandela returned home, the regent was furious, telling him unequivocally that he would have to recant his decision and go back to schNelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa in 1994, serving until 1999. A symbol of global peacemaking, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.ool in the fall., at age 95.