Quiz of the Day
Nelson Mandela International Day
Saturday, 18 July 2026
67 minutes for 67 years of service — Mandela's life, legacy, and the long walk to freedom
1. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. On which famous island was he held for the majority of that time?
- St. Croix Island
- Dassen Island
- Bird Island
- Robben Island
Robben Island sits in Table Bay, 11 km off Cape Town's coast. Mandela was imprisoned in cell 5 of Section B — a tiny space where he slept on a mat and worked in the prison's lime quarry, which permanently damaged his eyesight. The island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and museum.
2. What was the name of the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC), which Mandela helped found in 1961?
- Pan African Resistance
- Freedom Fighters of Africa
- Umkhonto we Sizwe
- Spear of the People
Umkhonto we Sizwe means 'Spear of the Nation' in isiZulu. It was formed after the ANC's peaceful strategies failed to end apartheid. Mandela's involvement with the group led to his arrest and the 1964 Rivonia Trial, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
3. The Rivonia Trial of 1963-64 nearly resulted in Mandela being sentenced to death. What sentence was he actually given?
- 15 years in prison
- Exile from South Africa
- 20 years in prison
- Life imprisonment
In his famous Rivonia Trial statement, Mandela concluded: 'I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society... It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.' The judge opted for life imprisonment rather than death, partly due to international pressure. The speech became one of the 20th century's defining courtroom statements.
4. Mandela was released from prison on February 11, 1990. Who was the South African president who authorised his release?
- Thabo Mbeki
- F.W. de Klerk
- John Vorster
- Pieter Willem Botha
De Klerk and Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for their joint efforts to end apartheid and establish democracy. Their relationship was complex — Mandela praised de Klerk but later criticised him for not doing enough to prevent political violence during the transition period.
5. Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa's first democratically elected president on May 10, 1994. Who was his deputy president?
- Cyril Ramaphosa
- Walter Sisulu
- F.W. de Klerk
- Thabo Mbeki
In a remarkable gesture of reconciliation, Mandela appointed his former jailer's political boss, F.W. de Klerk, as one of two deputy presidents (the other being ANC's Thabo Mbeki) in a Government of National Unity. The inauguration was attended by world leaders and watched by billions.
6. Mandela's autobiography, largely written secretly on Robben Island, has which title?
- My Freedom Years
- Long Walk to Freedom
- The Making of a President
- A Long Walk to Justice
Mandela wrote the manuscript secretly, and it was smuggled out of prison in 1976 when the authorities threatened to remove study privileges. Afraid of its discovery, he buried the manuscript in the prison garden — and it was indeed found, though other copies survived. It was published in 1994, just as he became president.
7. The apartheid system legally classified South Africans into four groups. Which group had the most restrictions placed on their rights?
- Indian
- Black
- White
- Coloured
Under apartheid, black South Africans faced the most severe restrictions: forced removals to 'homelands,' pass laws requiring papers to be in 'white' areas, exclusion from most skilled jobs, and separate (inferior) education. The Population Registration Act of 1950 officially categorised every South African by race.
8. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, offered amnesty to perpetrators of apartheid crimes in exchange for what?
- A financial penalty
- Full public disclosure of their crimes
- Agreement to leave South Africa
- A prison sentence served under better conditions
The TRC was a groundbreaking model of transitional justice — neither the blanket amnesty of some post-conflict societies nor the full criminal prosecutions of the Nuremberg type. Tutu called it the 'Third Way.' Many found it deeply unsatisfying; some perpetrators never came forward; but it helped prevent a descent into civil war.
9. Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Who was the first South African to win a Nobel Peace Prize?
- Desmond Tutu
- Walter Sisulu
- Albert Luthuli
- Chris Hani
Albert Luthuli, ANC President from 1952-1967, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 — making him the first African to receive it. His award was announced just months after the Sharpeville massacre, where police killed 69 peaceful protesters. The South African government initially refused to let him travel to Oslo to accept it.
10. Mandela Day asks people worldwide to volunteer 67 minutes of community service — one minute for each year of Mandela's public service. What year did the UN officially recognise it?
- 2005
- 2011
- 2009
- 2007
The UN officially recognised July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day in November 2009, his first year of retirement from public life. The 67-minute commitment represents Mandela's 67 years of service to humanity. Each year the day focuses on a specific campaign, often related to poverty, hunger, or education.
11. Mandela was the eldest son in his family and was given the name 'Rolihlahla' at birth, which means what in Xhosa?
- Beloved son
- Wise one
- Strong leader
- Troublemaker
Mandela's birth name Rolihlahla literally translates as 'pulling the branch of a tree' — colloquially meaning 'troublemaker.' His English name Nelson was given by a teacher at his first day of school, as was common practice in colonial-era South Africa. Mandela reportedly always preferred the name his parents gave him.
12. Which sporting tournament did Nelson Mandela use most symbolically to unite South Africa in 1995?
- Cricket World Cup
- Africa Cup of Nations football
- Commonwealth Games
- Rugby World Cup
Mandela appeared at Ellis Park wearing Springbok captain Francois Pienaar's jersey and cap — in a country where rugby was associated with white Afrikaner identity. When South Africa won, the moment of a black president embracing a white captain in the team jersey was broadcast worldwide as a symbol of reconciliation. It was later dramatised in the film Invictus.
13. Mandela trained as a lawyer and established South Africa's first black law firm with Oliver Tambo. In which city was it based?
- Johannesburg
- Cape Town
- Durban
- Pretoria
Mandela & Tambo Attorneys opened in 1952 in Johannesburg's downtown. It was the first black law firm in South Africa, and often the only place black South Africans could receive affordable legal help. The authorities constantly harassed the firm, and it was eventually forced to close due to the apartheid government's restrictions.
14. Which of Mandela's wives is particularly celebrated for her role in the anti-apartheid struggle during his imprisonment?
- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
- Albertina Sisulu
- Graça Machel
- Evelyn Ntoko Mase
Winnie Mandela became the public face of the anti-apartheid movement during Nelson's 27-year imprisonment, enduring banning orders, exile, and imprisonment herself. Her later years were complicated by controversy — she was implicated in human rights abuses in the 1980s — but her role in the struggle against apartheid was undeniable and remains deeply respected.
15. Mandela was 76 years old when he became president — at the time, the oldest person to take office in South Africa. How old was he when he died in 2013?
- 95
- 97
- 89
- 92
Mandela died on December 5, 2013, at his Johannesburg home after a prolonged lung infection. World leaders, ordinary citizens, and former enemies united in mourning. His funeral was held at his ancestral home in Qunu in the Eastern Cape, where he had played as a child — a deeply symbolic full-circle ending to an extraordinary life.