South Africa to commemorate 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison
South Africans are gearing up to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of former president Nelson Mandela from prison.
Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, was freed on 11 February 1990 after 27 years in prison for his liberation fight.
“I went for a long holiday for 27 years,” he once said of his years in prison.
Tuesday’s commemoration will be led by President Cyril Ramaphosa under the theme “From Freedom to Liberation”.
Ahead of the event that will be hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the South African presidency said “Nelson Mandela’s release from prison ushered in an era of change in South Africa’s political dispensation.”
The presidency said the commemoration’s aim was to encourage South Africans draw inspiration from the fight against apartheid to overcome current challenges.
Having been released from prison in 1990, Mandela went on to become the first democratically elected president in 1994. He served for only one term before retiring from politics.
Mandela died on 5 December 2013 aged 95.
