How Nelson Mandela used Rugby to unify South Africa Essay -- Politics,

After spending twenty-seven years in prison, Nelson Mandela was released from prison on February 11, 1990. In 1991, Nelson Mandela was chosen to become president of the African interior(a) Congress. In 1993, Mandela and siemens African President F.W. de Klerk announced an agreement that the African National Congress and the National Party form a transitional government, effectively ending apartheid and opening the political process to all South Africans (Williamson). Mandela was elected President of South Africa in 1994, and de Klerk became his first deputy. However, even with apartheid abolished, South Africa was still a divided country. Mandelas legal adviser, Nicholas Haysom, said, South Africa in 1994 was a country that was split, historically, culturally, racially, and so many other guidances. Within South Africa, there was a large division between blacks and whites, and Mandelas job was to bring them together. One way that Nelson Mandela brought South Africa together was through rugby. While this would seem to be an unlikely way to ease the racial tension, rugby was a crucial piece in the unification of South Africa. While Mandela was serving his time in prison, the international company began to put more pressure on South Africa to release him and end apartheid. To make sure their pressure was felt, opposing nations, especially refreshed Zealand, began violently protesting when the Springboks visited to assemble (30for30). The Springboks, South Africas national rugby team, were banned from rugby in 1981. The ban was intended to affect the white South Africans and give the black South Africans leverage to use in negotiations to end apartheid. In 1992, after Mandela was freed, the African National Congress revoked the ban on rugby... ...any, 1994. Print.Mandela, Nelson. Mandela An Illustrated Autobiography. Boston Little, Brown and Company, 1994. Print.Sampson, Anthony. Mandela The Authorized Biography. New York, NY Alfred A. Knoff, 1999. Print.N elson Mandela inauguration speech (1994). World History The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 30 Aug. 2011.Nelson Mandela speech on his release from prison (1990). World History The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 30 Aug. 2011.Taylor, Paul. let of His Country. Washington Post (Washington, DC). Feb. 13 1994 Mag. Sec. 10+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 30 Aug 2011.Williams, Michael W. Nelson Mandela. Great Lives from History The Twentieth Century. Ed. Robert F. Gorman. 10 vols. Pasadena, California Salem Press, 2008. Salem History Web. 30 Aug. 2011.Carlin, John. performing the Enemy. New York The Penguin Press, 2008. Print.