One of the greatest leaders this world has ever seen was Nelson Mandela, a freedom fighter, a revolutionary, and the first democratically elected, black president of South Africa. Today would have been Mandela’s 100th birthday, and the world has paused to celebrate and honour his excellence on July 18th aka Mandela Day.
My first trip to South Africa truly opened my eyes to the full injustices of apartheid and the contributions and sacrifices of Mandela and other freedom fighters. It was an experience that will forever be written into my memory bank and if you ever get the opportunity to travel to South Africa and are interested in learning more about Mandela, these are four places that I highly recommend you visit.
- Apartheid Museum {Mandela Exhibit} highlights Mandela’s integral role and contributions in the struggle against apartheid.
- Robben Island, the prison where he was spent 18 years of his life.
- Mandela House, a museum dedicated to the preservation of the history and legacy of the Mandela family.
- Mandela Foundation, a foundation dedicated to the life and legacy of Madiba. Foundation features paintings, movies, speeches, written journals, awards and more.⠀
Fun fact: As a Bahamian, I am so incredibly happy that my country, The Bahamas played an integral role in the release of Mandela from Robben Island. Sir Lynden Pindling, the first Prime Minister of The Bahamas gave an impassioned lecture against the system of Apartheid at CHOGM in 1985 in front of Her Majesty, Queen Lizzy ll and 45 heads of government which brought about The Commonwealth Agreement on South Africa, also known as The Nassau Accord.
The economic sanctions levied against South Africa in the Nassau Accord set off a chain of events that led to the abolition of apartheid and subsequent release of Mandela. After his release from Robben Island, The Bahamas was the first foreign country that he visited to say thank you! ?? #Mandela100 #MandelaDay
If you’re interested in visiting the continent of Africa, I will be travelling there this November with Explore Africa Tour for the third time! Feel free to drop me any questions about the trip if you are interested!
