NELSON MANDELA’S LATER YEARS AND LEGACY
After leaving office, Nelson Mandela remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in
his own country and around the world. He established a number of organizations, including the influential
Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Elders, an independent group of public figures committed to
addressing global problems and easing human suffering. In 2002, Mandela became a vocal advocate of
AIDS awareness and treatment programs in a culture where the epidemic had been cloaked in stigma and
ignorance. The disease later claimed the life of his son Makgatho (1950-2005) and is believed to affect
more people in South Africa than in any other country.
Treated for prostate cancer in 2001 and weakened by other health issues, Mandela grew
increasingly frail in his later years and scaled back his schedule of public appearances. In 2009, the United
Nations declared July 18 “Nelson Mandela International Day” in recognition of the South African leader’s
contributions to democracy, freedom, peace and human rights around the world. Nelson Mandela died on
December 5, 2013 from a recurring lung infection