Nelson Rolihlahla ("troublemaker") Mandela was born into the Madiba clan on July 18, 1918, in the rural village of Mvezo, in the Transkei region of South Africa. His great-grandfather, Ngubengcuka, was the leader of the Thembu people, although he was not eligible to inherit the throne. His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a local chief and advisor to the monarch until 1926, when he was dismissed for corruption. Gadla was polygamous – he had four wives who gave him four sons and nine daughters. Nelson's mother, Nosekeni, was his third wife and was a member of the Xhosa clan and daughter of the Right Hand House. (CITED In 1930, Nelson's father died and he became a ward of Jongintaba in the Great Square of Mqhekezweni at just 12 years old. The tribal elders instilled a strong sense of Xhosa nationalism in Mandela and expressed high expectations in matter of leadership towards it (PRICE CITE FOR PEACE) The elders told stories of the pre-colonial past and painted a picture of an uncorrupted, peaceful and self-reliant tribe. From their point of view, white occupation n. t was just a recent, seemingly temporary setback, not something permanent. During his time in Mqhekezweni Great Square, listening to the elders' stories of bravery, Nelson began to dream of making his own contribution. freedom of his people (CITY OF PEACE AWARD Despite his inherited feelings towards whites, Nelson was immersed in British culture and religion during his late childhood and early adolescence because the king. regent of the Tembu branch of the Xhosa adopted him after his father's death and sent him to Methodist missionary schools. He attended Qunu Primary School, where it was tradition to give all students "Christian" names, and he was given the name Nelson...... middle of paper ..... Conciliation in a severely divided society, He staved off potential insurrections against the new government from the white right and Zulu nationalists, and was a leading voice of conscience in South Africa and conflict zones. from all over the world. His incorruptibility and obvious lack of personal interest in power, as well as the diversity and graceful presentation of his political styles, ranging from stern and paternal to charmingly self-deprecating, made him the most admired leader in the world. world in the second half of the 20th century. (CITE PEACE) Nelson Mandela never wavered in his dedication to democracy, equality and learning. Despite terrible provocations, he never responded to racism with racism. His life was an inspiration to all those who are oppressed and deprived; to all those who oppose oppression and deprivation. He died at his home in Johannesburg on December 5 2013.