So you have planned to spend your holidays in Cape Town. Everything has been well taken care of: her accommodation, tickets and her luggage, but she forgot to plan her activities during her stay. With all the historical sites and beautiful scenery, I’m pretty sure you’ll find plenty to do. However, you may want to start by reliving the life of Nelson Mandela.

Having reached the incredible age of 93 on Monday, July 18, 2011, this living legend surprises us with the story of his life. He was born in 1918 in Transkei, Eastern Cape Town, where in his early childhood he was called Rohilalah. It was a name the tribe gave him that literally means “troublemaker.” Later, his teacher gave him the name Nelson, an English name, when he finally went to school.

People say that what made Nelson Mandela the great leader he is today is his genes and the long period of incarceration he endured on Robben Island, about seven miles off the coast of Cape Town.
Mandela spent 18 years in prison. His cell was only 5 square meters and what made things worse was the inadequate clothing and horrible sleeping conditions: he slept on a thin straw mat placed on the floor.

However, in the early 1970s, things got a little better: prisoners were given the opportunity to study. Without thinking twice, Nelson Mandela took advantage of this opportunity not only for the purpose of learning but also to combat the feeling of being isolated from his family and the hard life he had to live in prison. However, while he was there, he demonstrated his leadership skills by exerting great effort to bridge the gap between jailers and prisoners.

You can go to Robben Island by taking a ferry at the Nelson Mandela Gateway located at the V&A Waterfront just in front of the Clocktower. It will be a wonderful reliving experience for you to cross Table Bay and enjoy an emotional tour conducted by former political prisoners.

Surely, it is common knowledge that Nelson Mandela became the first South African president elected in a democratic election. However, he is not so popular how it all happened and the events that led to that success. Strolling through the historic streets of Cape Town will give you the opportunity to learn about the early history of the city from the Dutch and British settlers to the flourishing of slavery and the rise and fall of the apartheid era.

In 2010, the United Nations created Mandela Day, which was celebrated once again last Monday on the occasion of his 93rd birthday. South Africans around the world celebrated the day with great enthusiasm and took time to commemorate Mandela’s extraordinary work since 1994.

The festivities kicked off the previous weekend in Cape Town, where a special piece of art was auctioned off. This work of art is made from the handprints and autographs of 67 international celebrities. These handprints and photographs were creatively intertwined to form the pattern and colors of the South African flag.

Nelson Mandela has spent 67 years serving not only his country and his community, but also the world at large. And to commemorate this, at exactly 08:05 on Monday, July 18, South Africans were asked to join in the singing of the Happy Birthday song and spend 67 minutes of their time doing something good for their community.