Man ‧ del ‧ a, Nelson /mænˈdelə/ BrE AmE
(1918–) the leader of South Africa's ANC party from 1994 to 1997, and the first black President of South Africa, from 1994 to 1999. Mandela was in prison from 1964 to 1990 for his opposition to the country's white government and its policy of ↑ apartheid . In 1993 he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with President F. W. de Klerk after they had worked together to end the system of apartheid. He is admired all over the world, especially for encouraging people in South Africa to unite and build a new society and to forgive the bad things that happened there in the past.