Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
The inauguration
Describe Mandela's inauguration and the ideals of his speech.
Apartheid. 'Apartheid' was a system in South Africa that separated people by race. Nelson Mandela and his African National Congress (ANC) fought it all their lives. Mandela spent thirty years in prison. In 1994 South Africa held its first democratic elections, and he became the first black President.
The day, in order (10 May 1994):
- the place: the sandstone amphitheatre of the Union Buildings in Pretoria, for decades 'the seat of white supremacy', now 'a rainbow gathering of different colours and nations';
- the largest gathering of world leaders ever held on South African soil;
- Mandela comes with his daughter Zenani;
- Mr de Klerk is sworn in as second deputy president, then Thabo Mbeki as first deputy president;
- Mandela takes the oath to uphold the Constitution.
The speech (short, on p.18). He calls apartheid 'an extraordinary human disaster'. It was a human disaster because people made it, on purpose. He thanks the guests for sharing 'a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity'. He promises to free all the people from 'poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination'. He ends: 'Let freedom reign. God bless Africa!'
Why an 'autumn day'? South Africa is in the southern hemisphere. There the seasons are the other way round from India: May is autumn. That is why Mandela calls 10 May 'that lovely autumn day'.
Words from the text.
- pleasantly besieged: happily surrounded by visitors;
- a rainbow gathering: people of many colours together, like a rainbow;
- the glorious human achievement: a new, democratic, non-racial government.
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