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Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe and Botswana in the north, and Mozambique and Swaziland in the northeast -
1944
Mr. Mandela marries Evelyn Ntoko Mase. The couple will have four children, but Mr. Mandela’s political activities will put a strain on the relationship. The couple will divorce in 1958. -
1944
r. Mandela and other activists form the African National Congress Youth League after becoming disenchanted with the cautious approach of the older members of the A.N.C. The league’s formation marks the shift of the congress to a mass movement. But its manifesto, so charged with pan-African nationalism, offends some non-black sympathizers. -
1948
The National Party takes power in South Africa and sets out to construct apartheid, a system of strict racial segregation and white domination. -
in the 17th centery
There was harsh climate, and political turmoil also resources range from diamond and gold to platinum and their land is fertile enough to feed the rest of the world -
1956
Mr. Mandela is arrested at his home and charged with treason, along with 155 others who called for a nonracial state in South Africa. -
1958
In the midst of Mr. Mandela’s trial on treason charges, he marries Nomzamo Winifred Madikizela, 16 years his junior. The tumultuous union will produce two daughters and a national drama of forced separation, devotion, remorse and acrimony. -
Mandela Helps Form Guerrilla Army
Mr. Mandela and other A.N.C. leaders form a military wing called Umkhonto we Sizwe, or Spear of the Nation. Mr. Mandela becomes the first commander in chief of the guerrilla army. He will train to fight, work to obtain weapons for the group, and come to be known as the Black Pimpernel, but he will never see combat. -
Thousands of Students Protest Afrikaans Language in Soweto
Tens of thousands of students take to the streets of Soweto to oppose the use of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in black schools. The police fire on the protesters, setting off months of violence that will leave more than 570 people dead. The uprising is considered a turning point in the history of black resistance to apartheid. -
Secret Meetings With Government Begin
Kobie Coetsee, South Africa’s minister of justice, police and prisons, visits Mr. Mandela, who is in a hospital undergoing surgery for an enlarged prostate. Secret negotiations between Mr. Mandela and the government will continue for years without the public’s knowledge. During this time, Mr. Mandela will be taken on secret excursions outside the prison walls so he can reconnect with the world, after losing touch with it over decades as a prisoner. -
Meets With the South African President
Mr. Mandela meets informally with Mr. Botha at the presidential office in Cape Town. It is the first publicly acknowledged meeting between Mr. Mandela and a government official outside prison, and leads to speculation that he will soon be released. -
19th century
Southern Africa was separated into four territories in the end of the 19th century, two of which were under British rule and the other two in the hands of the Afrikaners. -
Third Marriage at 80
On his 80th birthday, Mr. Mandela marries Graça Machel, the 52-year-old widow of the former president of Mozambique, Samora Machel. -
Succeeded by Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki is inaugurated Mr. Mandela’s successor as president of South Africa after another electoral victory for the A.N.C. After five years with Mr. Mandela at the helm, the country still faces serious problems of poverty and crime, but it has made the transition to democracy while maintaining widespread respect for the law and avoiding political revenge killings. -
2001
April - 39 multi-national pharmaceutical companies halt a legal battle to stop South Africa importing generic Aids drugs. The decision is hailed as a victory for the world's poorest countries in their efforts to import cheaper drugs to combat the virus. -
Retires From the Public Eye June 1, 2004
Mr. Mandela says he will severely reduce his public activities so he can spend his remaining years resting and writing. A month shy of 86, he is increasingly frail and has trouble walking. -
1996
Parliament adopts new constitution. National Party withdraws from coalition, saying it is being ignored. -
Recurring Health Problems Stir Global Concern
Mr. Mandela is hospitalized for nearly 19 days, being treated for pneumonia and having an operation for gallstones, government officials say. -
1996
Truth and Reconciliation Commission chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu begins hearings on human rights crimes committed by former government and liberation movements during apartheid era. -
20th century
By the 20th century, the British controlled most of northeast, east, west, center, and South Africa, and the French controlled most of northwest Africa.