The Boy From the Transkei

An interview with Richard Stengel He collaborated on Mandela's memoirs and offers here an insightful analysis of the traits of character that are rooted in Mandela's "royal" upbringing. He also discusses the shock and affront of apartheid Johannesburg for the young Mandela when he first arrived in that city. And he describes how Mandela was both a country bumpkin and a dandy in those early years.

A Country Childhood - Excerpt from Mandela's Memoirs He describes his happy boyhood in the village of Qunu and its life of custom, ritual and taboo. Those who have studied his life feel Mandela's grounded sense of himself comes from this African heritage; that his relationship to power today can be traced to these roots in a traditional society and his understanding of tribal leadership.

An Interview with Chief Ndaba Mtirara, Chief Anderson Joyi and Cheief Jonginyaniso Mtirara The old Madiba chiefs still remember Mandela as a young boy whose values and attitudes were shaped by tradition and royal prerogative.

Joe Matthews's Memories A longtime friend and ANC associate, Matthews recounts his early impressions of the tall, strikingly well-dressed, young Mandela at the University College of Fort Hare.