“In 1991 South Africa was still heavily influenced by the British and the white minority. and economic problems. In trying to solve these problems, many lives were lost and many more were arrested. Among those arrested, Nelson Mandela, a young leader, was arrested and spent 27 years in prison at Robben Island Prison. Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1943 and was an active member ever since. On August 5, 1963 he was arrested and accused of treason. Mandela was convicted of sabotage and plotting against the government, particularly against apartheid. He used violence to fight for the rights of the people. For many people he was considered a terrorist. Apartheid was facing strong opposition and eventually the country was going through big problems and the current president De Klerk could not solve them effectively. Therefore he wanted to settle down with Mandela as he was still an idol for the people. He was released on 11 February 1990 and became president of the ANC on 5 July 1991. South Africa was in the throes of apartheid and there was opposition. Racism, massacres, segregation and economic problems were all problems Mandela had to deal with when he became South Africa's first democratically elected black president in 1994. Introduction• Situation in South Africa• Nelson Mandela• ThesisParagraph 1- Social inequalityApartheid racismFailure- MassacreSuccess - Voting and RugbySouth Africa was governed by a white minority government, which preserved white power and privilege under a strictly enforced system of segregation called apartheid. There were a lot of laws that… middle of paper… might not seem that important to politics, but it was a creative and effective way to bring people together. He set an example by wearing the South African captain's jersey. Paragraph 2- Economic Inequality Apartheid did not only have social impacts; it also had economic impacts. Mandala has had to deal with issues such as unemployment. When the new government came to power in 1994, there were high levels of unemployment. The government introduced the Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP) in 1994 to restructure society and redistribute wealth. But the focus has shifted from redistribution to economic growth with the introduction of the GEAR (growth, employment and redistribution) system to replace the RDP. None of the economic policies have succeeded in reducing unemployment, which reached over 40% in 2001. However, the informal sector has provided a means of income for millions of people..”