Nelson mandela: Courage and conviction-the making of a leader

Abstract

This chapter asks how we can discover and interpret the part played by Mandela's long imprisonment in his own personal and political development and in shaping his contribution to the struggle of the African National Congress (ANC) and the townships to overthrow the constraints of apartheid. How did the long campaign to 'free Nelson Mandela' and Mandela's own development within the context of his arduous imprisonment combine to build his influence and shape his approach as the ANC's leader and the nation's president after his release? The objective of this chapter is not to arrive at some irrefutable 'answer' to the problems posed here but to identify the agenda of issues that his case presents and to suggest some of the ways in which those issues might be tackled. The chapter returns to questions originally explored in his book Civilized Rebels. An Inside Story of the West's Retreat from Global Power (Routledge 2018).