On December 5, 2013 (November 3, 2013 in the lunar calendar), South Africa's founding father, Mandela, passed away. Mandela On December 5, 2013, former South African President Mandela died at 20:50 local time on the 5th due to illness (long-term lung infection). He was 95 years old. In a televised address to the nation, Zuma said Mandela died at his home in Johannesburg and that he "passed away peacefully." When he passed away, his family was with him. Zuma said: "Mandela, the founder of our democracy, has left us. He is now at rest, our country has lost one of its greatest sons, our people have lost a father... This is our saddest moment." "Although we knew this day would come, we still felt a huge and irreparable loss," Zuma said. Zuma said that Mandela fought tirelessly for freedom and won respect from around the world; his humility, love and humanity won people's love. Mandela's greatness lies in his love for mankind, and his qualities are exactly what we pursue. Zuma called on the people of South Africa to inherit Mandela's legacy and build a just society that is free from exploitation and oppression, free from racial and gender discrimination, and is increasingly democratic and prosperous. Zuma announced that South Africa will hold a state funeral for Mandela. Flags will be lowered to half-staff across the country from December 6 to the end of the state funeral. After the news of Mandela's death broke, a large number of people flocked to Mandela's residence in Howton District, Johannesburg to express their condolences. 35-year-old Nkoma said in tears: "The spiritual wealth that Mandela left us will not only be enjoyed by the people of South Africa, but also by people around the world. Mandela did not leave. He will always live in our hearts." Mandela was sent to a hospital in Pretoria on June 8 this year due to recurrence of lung disease. After nearly three months of treatment, he was discharged in early September and returned to his home in Johannesburg to continue treatment. Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for opposing apartheid and contracted tuberculosis in prison. After being released from prison, he worked to promote racial reconciliation. In 1993, he and De Klerk, the last president of South Africa's apartheid regime, won the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1994, Mandela was elected South Africa's first black president and stepped down five years later. People held flowers and candles to mourn the death of Mandela. Anti-apartheid fighters On July 18, 1918, Mandela was born in the village of Mwezo in the Trankei region of the Cape Province of South Africa. His father was a member of the royal family of the Tembu Dynasty and a local chief, and Mandela's mother was one of his father's four wives. One of Mandela's names is Rolihrahra, which in Xhosa means "pluck out the tree trunk" and also means "troublemaker." When Mandela was 10 years old, his father's sudden death brought great changes to his life. The Regent, who had received help from his father, now extended a helping hand and took on the responsibility of raising Mandela. According to the life the Regent designed for Mandela: he will inherit his father's footsteps and become a local chief when he grows up. However, Mandela, who was uneasy about the status quo, was full of yearning and longing for the outside world. When he encountered the "arranged marriage" of the Regent, he chose to go out to study, and left the hometown where he was born and raised. He began his own legendary experience. Mandela, a 466/64 prisoner who "sat in prison", was one of the few people in his family with a higher education. After leaving his hometown, he went to Fort Hare University to study, began to come into contact with law, and later met his lifelong comrade Oliver Tabo. In the 1940s, racial conflicts in South Africa became very prominent. The white government oppressed blacks and aroused black protests. Mandela joined the African National Congress of South Africa (ANC), which advocated non-violent struggle, in 1944, and successively served as the ANC Executive Committee, Chairman of Transvaal Province, and National Vice Chairman. In 1961, Mandela led a strike movement to protest and boycott the founding of the "Republic of South Africa" by white racists; he was then appointed commander-in-chief of the military organization "Spear of the Nation". In August 1962, he was arrested and imprisoned and sentenced to five years in prison for "incitement" and "illegal border crossing". In June 1964, he was again charged with "attempting to overthrow the government by violence" and was commuted to life imprisonment. Mandela Mandela was held in Robben Island Prison for 18 years with the uniform number 466/64. He was subsequently transferred to two other prisons. Even while in prison, Mandela did not give up his strong belief in opposing racism and building an equal and free new South Africa. He insisted on demanding that the white government abolish the apartheid policy, and fought for this in prison for 27 years and suffered persecution and torture have never changed his original intention. On February 11, 1990, under pressure from domestic and foreign public opinion, the South African authorities were forced to announce the unconditional release of Mandela. Mandela, with gray hair but still unyielding, walked out of prison as a winner and is considered the most exciting moment of the entire 20th century. After the founding father of the "Rainbow Country" was released from prison, Mandela was appointed as vice chairman and acting chairman by the ANC National Executive Committee, and was elected chairman in July 1991. In April 1994, the ANC won South Africa's first non-racial general election. In May of the same year, Mandela became South Africa's first black president. After taking power, Mandela did not retaliate against white people in South Africa, but extended a hand of friendship to them and promoted national reconciliation in South Africa to heal the scars of this conflicted country. Through unremitting efforts, Mandela finally created a new rainbow country, where people can live freely and equally in this new South Africa, regardless of skin color or gender. Mandela's actions have also been recognized around the world. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize with his former opponent de Klerk in 1993. At the turn of the century, he was also selected as "the twenty people who influenced the political and social structure of the 20th century." In 1999, Mandela, whose reputation reached Ding Feng, did not seek re-election, but chose to retire bravely. After retirement, he did not completely withdraw from public view, but continued to promote the hard work of African countries in fighting AIDS and other aspects. On November 10, 2009, the 64th UN General Assembly passed a resolution designating his birthday on July 18 every year as "Mandela International Day" in recognition of his contribution to peace and freedom. After 2010, Mandela rarely appeared in public. More than 20 years of prison life made his lungs his "Achilles 'heel", so he was hospitalized several times for treatment. On June 8, 2013, he was hospitalized urgently again due to a lung infection. In the next six months, illness and aging became the last two opponents in his life. Mandela was married three times and had two sons and four daughters. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Mandela is an old friend of the China people. Hong Lei expressed his condolences on his death. He said that Mr. Mandela was a famous leader in South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle, the founder of New South Africa, and a world-renowned outstanding politician. He was not only respected by the South African people as the "Father of the Nation", but also won the reverence and love of people around the world.