Nelson Mandela
1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone?
Answer: The inauguration ceremonies took place in the beautiful sandstone amphitheatre formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa.
In India, famous buildings made largely of sandstone include the Red Fort, Rashtrapati Bhavan and parts of the Parliament complex.
2. Why is 10 May described as an “autumn day” in South Africa?
Answer: South Africa lies in the Southern Hemisphere, where May falls in the autumn season. Therefore, 10 May was literally an autumn day.
The day was also important historically because on 10 May 1994 Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first black President of democratic South Africa, marking the beginning of a new era after years of racial oppression.
3. At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions “an extraordinary human disaster”. What does he mean by this? What is the “glorious human achievement” he speaks of?
Answer: By “an extraordinary human disaster”, Mandela refers to the system of apartheid, under which the black majority of South Africa suffered racial discrimination, humiliation and denial of basic rights.
The “glorious human achievement” refers to the establishment of a democratic and non-racial government in South Africa. After years of struggle, people of all races were finally given equal political rights.
4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?
Answer: Mandela thanks the international leaders for attending the inauguration and sharing the historic moment with the people of South Africa. Their presence showed international support for the country’s new democracy and celebrated a common victory for justice, peace and human dignity.
5. What ideals does Mandela set out for the future of South Africa?
Answer: Mandela dreams of a South Africa where all people are free from poverty, deprivation, suffering and discrimination. He wants a society based on equality, justice, peace, human dignity and freedom, where no group will ever oppress another again.
6. What did the military generals do? How had their attitude changed, and why?
Answer: The highest military and police officers saluted Mandela and pledged their loyalty to him as the new President.
Their attitude had completely changed. In earlier years, the same authorities might have arrested Mandela because he was fighting against apartheid. After the establishment of democracy, they accepted him as the constitutional Head of State.
7. Why were two national anthems sung at the inauguration?
Answer: Two national anthems were sung to represent reconciliation and unity between the different communities of South Africa.
The former anthem, “Die Stem”, and “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika”, which had become closely associated with the liberation struggle, were both included. Their joint use symbolised the birth of a united, democratic nation.
8. How does Mandela describe the system of government in South Africa in the first and final decades of the twentieth century?
Answer: In the first decade of the twentieth century, white rulers established a system of racial domination that later developed into apartheid. It denied the black majority their basic rights and created a deeply unequal society.
By the final decade of the century, this system had been overturned. A democratic government was established that recognised the rights and freedoms of all South Africans regardless of race or skin colour.
9. What does courage mean to Mandela?
Answer: To Mandela, courage does not mean the absence of fear. It means overcoming fear. A brave person may feel afraid, but he or she has the strength to conquer that fear and continue doing what is right.
10. Which does Mandela think is more natural to the human heart—love or hate?
Answer: Mandela believes that love is more natural to the human heart than hatred. According to him, people learn to hate, and if they can be taught to hate, they can also be taught to love.
11. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?
Answer: Mandela says that every person has two important obligations:
- An obligation to one’s family—parents, spouse and children.
- An obligation to one’s people, community and country.
Under apartheid, a black person found it extremely difficult to fulfil both obligations freely.
12. What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy and as a student? How were these different from the “basic and honourable freedoms”?
Answer: As a boy, Mandela believed that freedom meant running freely in the fields, swimming in the stream, roasting mealies under the stars and riding the slow-moving bulls.
As a student, freedom meant being able to stay out at night, read what he wished and live according to his own choices.
Later, he realised that these were only temporary or personal freedoms. The “basic and honourable freedoms” were much more important—the freedom to earn a living, develop one’s abilities, marry, raise a family and live with dignity and self-respect.
13. Does Mandela think that the oppressor is free? Why or why not?
Answer: No. Mandela believes that an oppressor is not truly free because hatred and prejudice imprison the mind.
The oppressed loses freedom through injustice, while the oppressor loses humanity through hatred and narrow-mindedness. Therefore, both the oppressed and the oppressor need liberation.
14. Why did so many international leaders attend Mandela’s inauguration? What did their presence signify?
Answer: A large number of international leaders attended the inauguration because it was a historic event marking the end of apartheid and the beginning of democratic rule in South Africa.
Their presence signified the triumph of justice, peace, democracy and human dignity over racial oppression.
15. What does Mandela mean when he says that he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?
Answer: Mandela means that his achievement was not his alone. Thousands of African patriots had struggled, suffered and sacrificed their lives before him in the fight against racial oppression.
He saw himself as the product and representative of their courage and sacrifice, and he felt that the victory belonged to all of them.
16. Would you agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”? How does Mandela illustrate this?
Answer: Yes. Severe oppression often brings out extraordinary courage, determination and leadership in people.
Mandela explains that the long struggle against apartheid produced remarkable leaders such as Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Chief Luthuli, Yusuf Dadoo, Bram Fischer and Robert Sobukwe. Their courage and wisdom developed through years of suffering and resistance.
History gives similar examples from other countries where difficult circumstances produced great leaders and reformers.
17. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
Answer: As a child, Mandela believed that he was free because he could enjoy simple pleasures such as running in the fields and swimming in the stream.
As he grew older, he realised that his personal freedom was limited. Later, he understood that the real problem was not only his own lack of freedom but the lack of freedom of all black South Africans.
His idea of freedom therefore developed from personal freedom to a much broader struggle for the dignity, equality and political freedom of his entire people.
18. How did Mandela’s “hunger for freedom” change his life?
Answer: Mandela’s hunger for freedom completely transformed his life. It changed him from an ordinary young man into a courageous political activist.
It drove him to join the African National Congress and fight racial injustice. In the eyes of the apartheid government, a law-abiding lawyer became a criminal. His political struggle also forced him to live away from his family and sacrifice a normal personal life.
Thus, the desire for the freedom of his people became the central purpose of his life.
Additional Questions and Answers
19. What did Mandela say about the wealth of South Africa?
Answer: Mandela said that although South Africa was rich in minerals and precious stones, its greatest wealth was its people. He considered the people of his country finer and more valuable than the purest diamonds.
20. What does Mandela mean when he says that freedom is indivisible?
Answer: Mandela means that true freedom cannot belong to only one person or one group. If one section of society is oppressed, the freedom of everyone is affected.
He felt that the chains placed on any one of his people were also chains on him. Therefore, individual freedom was incomplete without the freedom of the entire community.
21. When did Mandela begin to hunger for freedom?
Answer: Mandela’s hunger for freedom developed gradually as he grew older and realised that both his own freedom and the freedom of his people were restricted.
He first desired personal freedoms, but with maturity he began to seek freedom for all black South Africans to live with dignity, equality and self-respect.
22. Name any two African patriots mentioned by Mandela.
Answer: Two African patriots mentioned by Mandela are Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu.
Other leaders mentioned include Chief Luthuli, Yusuf Dadoo, Bram Fischer and Robert Sobukwe.
23. What does Mandela say about the inauguration gathering?
Answer: Mandela says that the inauguration on 10 May 1994 brought together one of the largest gatherings of international leaders ever seen on South African soil. They came to witness the birth of the country’s first democratic, non-racial government.
24. Why does Mandela say that both the oppressed and the oppressor are robbed of their humanity?
Answer: The oppressed person is denied freedom, dignity and basic rights. The oppressor, on the other hand, becomes trapped by hatred, prejudice and narrow-mindedness.
Thus, injustice harms both sides. One loses freedom, while the other loses moral humanity.
25. What is apartheid?
Answer: Apartheid was a system of racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa. Under this system, people were separated and treated differently according to their race, with the white minority enjoying privileges while the black majority was denied many basic rights.
26. What is Nelson Mandela’s full name?
Answer: His full name was Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
27. When did Nelson Mandela become President of South Africa?
Answer: Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as President of South Africa on 10 May 1994.
28. Who was Nelson Mandela?
Answer: Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid leader who became the country’s first black President and the first President elected under the new democratic system in 1994.
29. What did Mandela realise about his boyhood freedom?
Answer: Mandela later realised that the freedom he had enjoyed as a child was only an illusion. As he grew older, he discovered that his movements, choices and opportunities were restricted by racial laws.
This understanding gradually led him to fight not only for his own freedom but for the freedom of all his people.
30. What is meant by a “non-racial government”?
Answer: A non-racial government is one in which political rights and opportunities are not determined by a person’s race or skin colour. All citizens are treated as equal members of the nation.
31. What was the greatest lesson Mandela learnt about love and hatred?
Answer: Mandela learnt that hatred is not natural but something people are taught. Since people can learn hatred, they can also learn love. He believed that love comes more naturally to the human heart.
32. Why was Mandela ready to sacrifice his personal life?
Answer: Mandela realised that his personal happiness could not be complete while millions of his people remained oppressed. His commitment to justice and freedom therefore became greater than his desire for a comfortable private life.
33. What is the central message of “Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”?
Answer: The chapter teaches that freedom, equality and human dignity belong to everyone. It also shows that courage means overcoming fear, hatred can be replaced by love, and true freedom requires the liberation of both the oppressed and the oppressor.
Thinking About Language
1. Noun–Verb Pairs
| Noun | Verb |
|---|---|
| rebellion | rebel |
| constitution | constitute |
| inauguration | inaugurate |
| installation | install |
| emancipation | emancipate |
| liberation | liberate |
| deprivation | deprive |
| discrimination | discriminate |
| oppression | oppress |
| achievement | achieve |
| formation | form |
| demonstration | demonstrate |
| election | elect |
| domination | dominate |
| imagination | imagine |
2. Fill in the blanks with the noun forms of the verbs
Martin Luther King’s contribution to history as an outstanding leader began when he came to the assistance of Rosa Parks. Breaking the racial laws could lead to subjugation and humiliation by the authorities. Beatings, imprisonment and sometimes death awaited those who challenged the system. Martin Luther King’s method of protest involved non-violent resistance to racial injustice.
3. Use of “the” with Proper Names
(i) Mr Singh regularly invites the Amitabh Bachchans and the Shah Rukh Khans to his parties.
Meaning: Mr Singh invites famous and important people like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to his parties.
(ii) Many people think that Madhuri Dixit is the Madhubala of our times.
Meaning: Madhuri Dixit is being compared with Madhubala because of similar fame, beauty or acting qualities.
(iii) History is not only the story of the Alexanders, the Napoleons and the Hitlers, but of ordinary people as well.
Meaning: History is not merely the story of great rulers and powerful historical figures; ordinary people also play an important role in shaping history.
4. Idiomatic Expressions
1. “I was not unmindful of the fact.”
Answer: I had not forgotten it; I was aware of the fact.
2. “When my comrades and I were pushed to our limits.”
Answer: We felt that we could hardly endure the suffering any longer.
3. “To reassure me and keep me going.”
Answer: To give me hope and help me continue through a difficult situation.
4. “Earning my keep.”
Answer: Earning enough money to support oneself.
Writing – Looking at Contrasts
1. It requires such depths of oppression —
Answer: to create such heights of character.
2. Courage was not the absence of fear —
Answer: but the triumph over it.
3. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid —
Answer: but he who conquers that fear.
4. If people can learn to hate —
Answer: they can be taught to love.
5. I was not born with a hunger to be free —
Answer: I was born free.
Contrasts Between Past and Present
1. For decades the Union Buildings had been the seat of white supremacy, and now —
Answer: they became the site of a rainbow gathering of different colours and nations for the installation of South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government.
2. Only moments before, the highest generals of the South African defence force and police had saluted Mandela and pledged their loyalty. Not many years earlier —
Answer: they would have arrested him rather than saluted him.
3. Although neither group knew the lyrics of the other anthem that day —
Answer: they would soon learn the words by heart.
4. South Africa is rich in minerals and gems beneath its soil, but —
Answer: Mandela believes that its greatest wealth is its people.
5. The air show was not only a display of military precision and force, but —
Answer: also a demonstration of the military’s loyalty to democracy and to a freely elected government.
6. Mandela’s desire for the freedom of his people transformed —
Answer: a frightened young man into a bold one, a law-abiding attorney into a person regarded as a criminal by the apartheid state, and a family-loving husband into a man forced to live away from home.
Speaking
True Liberty Is Freedom from Poverty, Deprivation and Discrimination
Speech:
Respected teachers and my dear friends,
True liberty means much more than being legally free. A person cannot enjoy real freedom while suffering from poverty, hunger, unemployment, illiteracy or discrimination.
Poverty can often be reduced through better education, skill development, employment opportunities and fair access to resources. At the same time, discrimination based on gender, religion, caste, class or race must be rejected.
Every citizen deserves equal dignity and equal opportunity. Human rights guaranteed by the Constitution become meaningful only when they are enjoyed in everyday life.
Therefore, a truly free society is one where people can live without fear, poverty and discrimination and have the opportunity to build a dignified future.
Thank you.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which date is described as an autumn day in South Africa?
(a) 10 July
(b) 10 May
(c) 10 March
(d) 10 October
Answer: (b) 10 May
2. Where did Mandela’s inauguration ceremony take place?
(a) Johannesburg
(b) Mandela’s home
(c) Union Buildings in Pretoria
(d) Cape Town harbour
Answer: (c) Union Buildings in Pretoria
3. How many national anthems were included in the inauguration ceremony?
(a) One
(b) Two
(c) Three
(d) Four
Answer: (b) Two
4. South Africa is especially rich in—
(a) coffee
(b) minerals and gems
(c) rice
(d) timber only
Answer: (b) Minerals and gems
5. According to Mandela, the greatest wealth of South Africa is—
(a) diamonds
(b) gold
(c) minerals
(d) its people
Answer: (d) Its people
6. Nelson Mandela became—
(a) the first black President of South Africa
(b) the second black President
(c) the third black President
(d) the first Prime Minister
Answer: (a) The first black President of South Africa
7. Mandela was inaugurated as President in—
(a) 1947
(b) 1964
(c) 1994
(d) 1999
Answer: (c) 1994
8. ANC stands for—
(a) Asian National Congress
(b) African National Congress
(c) American National Council
(d) African National Council
Answer: (b) African National Congress
9. A non-racial government is one—
(a) based on skin colour
(b) not based on racial discrimination
(c) controlled by one race
(d) without elections
Answer: (b) Not based on racial discrimination
10. According to Mandela, courage means—
(a) having no fear
(b) hiding fear
(c) triumphing over fear
(d) avoiding danger
Answer: (c) Triumphing over fear
11. What comes more naturally to the human heart according to Mandela?
(a) Hatred
(b) Love
(c) Anger
(d) Fear
Answer: (b) Love
12. Mandela says freedom is—
(a) divisible
(b) indivisible
(c) temporary
(d) unnecessary
Answer: (b) Indivisible
13. Mandela realised that his boyhood freedom was—
(a) permanent
(b) complete
(c) an illusion
(d) a reward
Answer: (c) An illusion
14. “Depths of oppression” can create—
(a) heights of character
(b) greater ignorance
(c) more wealth
(d) physical strength only
Answer: (a) Heights of character
15. The word “profound” most nearly means—
(a) shallow
(b) weak
(c) deep and intense
(d) ordinary
Answer: (c) Deep and intense
16. The word “curtailed” means—
(a) increased
(b) reduced or restricted
(c) celebrated
(d) completed
Answer: (b) Reduced or restricted
17. Which was the old anthem associated with the Republic of South Africa?
(a) Die Stem
(b) God Save the King
(c) La Marseillaise
(d) Jana Gana Mana
Answer: (a) Die Stem
18. Who was sworn in as the second Deputy President?
(a) Nelson Mandela
(b) Thabo Mbeki
(c) Oliver Tambo
(d) F. W. de Klerk
Answer: (d) F. W. de Klerk
19. Apartheid was mainly a system of—
(a) racial discrimination
(b) economic equality
(c) religious unity
(d) educational reform
Answer: (a) Racial discrimination
20. What does the word “apartheid” refer to?
(a) A democratic election
(b) Racial separation and discrimination
(c) Economic development
(d) National unity
Answer: (b) Racial separation and discrimination
21. Mandela says that an oppressor is a prisoner of—
(a) poverty
(b) hatred
(c) education
(d) freedom
Answer: (b) Hatred
22. What were Mandela’s twin obligations?
(a) To wealth and power
(b) To his family and to his people and country
(c) To education and employment
(d) To politics and business
Answer: (b) To his family and to his people and country
23. Who was Zenani?
(a) Mandela’s wife
(b) Mandela’s daughter
(c) Mandela’s sister
(d) Mandela’s assistant
Answer: (b) Mandela’s daughter
24. What did Mandela consider finer and truer than the purest diamonds?
(a) South Africa’s gold
(b) Its mountains
(c) Its people
(d) Its buildings
Answer: (c) Its people
25. Which organisation did Mandela join in his struggle for freedom?
(a) United Nations
(b) African National Congress
(c) Commonwealth
(d) African Union
Answer: (b) African National Congress
26. Mandela believed people could be taught—
(a) only to hate
(b) only to obey
(c) to love
(d) to fear
Answer: (c) To love
27. The inauguration marked the beginning of—
(a) apartheid
(b) military rule
(c) a democratic, non-racial government
(d) colonial rule
Answer: (c) A democratic, non-racial government
28. According to Mandela, both the oppressed and the oppressor lose—
(a) money
(b) humanity
(c) citizenship
(d) education
Answer: (b) Humanity
29. Nelson Mandela’s full name is—
(a) Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
(b) Nelson Robert Mandela
(c) Nelson Oliver Mandela
(d) Nelson Walter Mandela
Answer: (a) Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
30. Mandela’s struggle was mainly against—
(a) poverty alone
(b) apartheid and racial injustice
(c) foreign trade
(d) education
Answer: (b) Apartheid and racial injustice
Human Generate Question Answer
1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone?
Ans: The ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheater formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. In India, famous public buildings made of sandstone include the Red Fort, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and the Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan).
2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?
Ans: Geographically, South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, May falls in the autumn season there. Symbolically, it was an “autumn day” because it marked the falling away of the old, “withered” regime of Apartheid and the birth of a new, vibrant democratic nation.
3. At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions “an extraordinary human disaster”. What does he mean by this? What is the “glorious human achievement” he speaks of at the end?
Ans: The “extraordinary human disaster” refers to the system of Apartheid, the state-sponsored racial discrimination where the white minority oppressed the black majority for decades. The “glorious human achievement” is the establishment of South Africa’s first non-racial, democratic government, where a black man became President in a land that previously denied him basic human rights.
4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?
Ans: Mandela thanks the international leaders for coming to witness the inauguration, as it signified international recognition of a free South Africa. Their presence turned a local victory into a common victory for justice, peace, and human dignity, ending South Africa’s status as an international “outlaw.”
5. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?
Ans: Mandela pledges to liberate all his people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other forms of discrimination. He envisions a beautiful land where “never, never, and never again” shall one group oppress another.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?
Ans: The highest military and police generals saluted Mandela and pledged their loyalty. Years before, these same men would not have saluted him but arrested him as a criminal or terrorist. Their attitude changed because the political system had shifted from white supremacy to a democracy that recognized Mandela as the legitimate Head of State.
2. Why were two national anthems sung?
Ans: Two national anthems—the white “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” and the black “Die Stem”—were sung to symbolize unity and equality. It was a powerful gesture showing that both races were now part of one integrated nation.
3. How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country (i) in the first decade, and (ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century?
Ans: * (i) First Decade: The white-skinned people patched up their differences and erected a system of racial domination known as Apartheid, creating one of the harshest, most inhumane societies the world had ever known.
- (ii) Final Decade: The previous system was overturned forever and replaced by one that recognized the rights and freedoms of all people, regardless of the color of their skin.
4. What does courage mean to Mandela?
Ans: To Mandela, courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. He believes that the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
5. Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?
Ans: Mandela believes that love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite (hate). He argues that if people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.
Part 3: Oral Comprehension Check
1. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?
Ans: Mandela mentions that every man has twin obligations: first, to his family (parents, wife, and children); and second, to his people, community, and country.
2. What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student? How does he contrast these “transitory freedoms” with “the basic and honourable freedoms”?
Ans: As a boy, freedom meant running in the fields and swimming in the stream. As a student, it meant “transitory” freedoms like being able to stay out at night or read what he pleased. He contrasts these with “basic and honourable freedoms”—the potential to achieve one’s goals, earn a living, marry, and have a family—which were denied to black people under Apartheid.
3. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?
Ans: No, Mandela believes the oppressor is not free. He describes an oppressor as a “prisoner of hatred” locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. Both the oppressed and the oppressor are alike robbed of their humanity.
Part 4: Thinking about the Text
1. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of?
Ans: They attended to show solidarity with South Africa’s transition to democracy. It signified a triumph of humanity over racism and a victory for justice and peace after decades of global isolation.
2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?
Ans: He is acknowledging that the path to freedom was paved by the sacrifices of thousands of others. He felt he was carrying the baton they had passed, and he was pained that he could not thank them or show them what their sacrifices had achieved.
3. Would you agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”? How does Mandela illustrate this?
Ans: Yes, Mandela illustrates this by mentioning leaders like Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu, whose extraordinary courage and wisdom were forged in the fires of the brutal Apartheid struggle. Just as diamonds require great pressure to form, great characters are often produced by great hardship.
4. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
Ans: Mandela’s view evolved from personal freedom (as a child) to social freedom (as a student) and finally to political freedom for his entire race. He realized that his own freedom was meaningless if his brothers and sisters were still in chains.
5. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?
Ans: It transformed him from a frightened young man into a bold one, from a law-abiding attorney into a “criminal” in the eyes of the law, and from a family-loving husband into a man forced to live like a monk in hiding. It drove him to join the African National Congress (ANC) and dedicate his life to the struggle.
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