President Mandela
Mandela's presidency from 1994 to 1999 — the challenges of governing a divided nation and building a new democracy.
A New South Africa
On April 27, 1994, South Africans of all races voted together for the first time. Queues stretched for miles. The ANC won 62.6% of the vote, and on May 10, Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa's first Black president.
His presidency prioritized national reconciliation above all else. He formed a Government of National Unity that included de Klerk as deputy president and members of the National Party and Inkatha Freedom Party. He famously wore a Springbok rugby jersey at the 1995 Rugby World Cup final — a sport that had been a symbol of white Afrikaner identity — winning over many white South Africans.
The new constitution, adopted in 1996, was among the most progressive in the world, with protections for a wide range of rights including equality, dignity, and freedom of expression.
