Nelson Rolihlahla (“troublemaker”) Mandela was born into the Madiba clan on 18 July 1918, in the rural village of Mvezo in the Transkei region of South Africa. His great-grandfather, Ngubengcuka, was the ruler of the Thembu people, although he was not eligible to inherit the throne. His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a local chief and advisor to the monarch until 1926, when he was dismissed for corruption. Gadla was a polygamist: he had four wives, who gave birth to four sons and nine daughters. Nelson's mother, Nosekeni, was his third wife and was a member of the Xhosa clan and daughter of the Right Hand House. (CITE In 1930, Nelson's father died and he became a ward of Jongintaba in the Great Place of Mqhekezweni at just 12 years old. The tribal elders instilled a strong sense of Xhosa nationalism in Mandela and conveyed high leadership expectations for him (Award CITE FOR PEACE) The elders told stories of the precolonial past and painted a picture of an uncorrupted, peaceful, self-governing tribe From their perspective, the white occupation was just a recent, seemingly temporary setback, not something of permanent During his time at the Great Place in Mqhekezweni, listening to the elders' stories of courage, Nelson began to dream of making his own contribution to the freedom of his people (CITE PEACE PRIZE). he was immersed in British culture and religion during his late childhood and early adolescence because the king regent of the Tembu branch of the Xhosa adopted him after his father's death and sent him to Methodist mission schools. He attended primary school in Qunu, where it was traditional to give all students "Christian" names, and was given the name Nelson... middle of paper... reconciliation in a badly divided society, averted potential insurrections against the new government by the white right and Zulu nationalists, and has been a leading voice of conscience in South Africa and in conflict zones around the world. His incorruptibility and evident lack of personal interest in power, coupled with the range and graceful presentation of his political styles, from stern and paternal to delightfully self-deprecating, made him the world's most admired leader in the second half of the twentieth century . (CITE PEACE) Nelson Mandela never wavered in his devotion to democracy, equality and learning. Despite the terrible provocation, he never responded to racism with racism. His life was an inspiration to all those who are oppressed and deprived; to all those who oppose oppression and deprivation. He died at his home in Johannesburg on 5 December 2013.