Quotes by Nelson Mandela

About Nelson Mandela:

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black chief executive, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997. Internationally, Mandela was Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Africans require, want, the franchise on the basis of one man one vote. They want political independence.

Nelson Mandela

If you are poor, you are not likely to live long.

Nelson Mandela

When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.

Nelson Mandela

I have been influenced in my thinking by both west and east.

Nelson Mandela

By ancestry, I was born to rule.

Nelson Mandela

The titanic effort that has brought liberation to South Africa, and ensured the total liberation of Africa, constitutes an act of redemption for the black people of the world.

Nelson Mandela

We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.

Nelson Mandela

Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves.

Nelson Mandela

During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons li...

Nelson Mandela

We owe our children – the most vulnerable citizens in any society – a life free from violence and fear.

Nelson Mandela

May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.

Nelson Mandela

Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening.

Nelson Mandela

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

Nelson Mandela

When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.

Nelson Mandela

Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life." [ , Mary Fitzgerald Square, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2 July 2005]

Nelson Mandela

A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.

Nelson Mandela

If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. -Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1918)

Nelson Mandela

Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.

Nelson Mandela

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.

Nelson Mandela

It is a simple tale, but its message is an enduring one: virtue and generosity will be rewarded in ways that one cannot know.

Nelson Mandela

A winner is a dreamer who never gives up

Nelson Mandela

Author Bio

  • NameNelson Mandela
  • Descriptionformer President of South Africa, anti-apartheid activist
  • AliasesNelson Rolihlahla Mandela; Mandela; Madiba
  • BornJuly 18, 1918
  • DiedDecember 5, 2013
  • CountrySouth Africa
  • ProfessionPolitician; Autobiographer
  • AwardsJawaharlal Nehru Award For International Understanding; Nobel Peace Prize; Honorary Companion Of The Order Of Australia; Grandmaster Of The Order Of Good Hope; Platinum Order Of Mapungubwe; Gold Olympic Order; Order Of Lenin; Princess Of Asturias Award For International Cooperation; Presidential Medal Of Freedom; Order Of The Aztec Eagle; Order Of The Elephant; Order Of The Gold Lion Of The House Of Nassau; Grand Cross Of The National Order Of Mali; Knight Grand Cross Of The Order Of St. Olav?; Royal Order Of The Seraphim; Order Of Prince Yaroslav The Wise; Order Of Merit; Venerable Order Of Saint John; Honorary Canadian Citizenship; Lenin Peace Prize; Sakharov Prize; Honorary Companion Of The Order Of Canada; Order Of Isabella The Catholic; Order Of Augusto César Sandino; Mo Ibrahim Prize For Achievement In African Leadership; Bruno Kreisky Award; Companion Of The Order Of Canada; Order Of St. Olav; United Nations Prize In The Field Of Human Rights; Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize; Order Of Australia; Four Freedoms Award - Freedom Medal; Philadelphia Liberty Medal; Bharat Ratna; Al-Gaddafi International Prize For Human Rights; Giuseppe Motta Medal; Arthur Ashe Courage Award; Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize; Ahimsa Award; Delta Prize For Global Understanding