When and where did Mandela's inauguration take place?

It took place on 10 May 1994 at the Union Buildings amphitheatre in Pretoria, attended by dignitaries and leaders from many countries.

Apartheid was a harsh system of racial segregation enforced in South Africa, under which black people were denied basic rights and kept apart from white people. The 1994 election formally ended it.

What does Mandela mean by saying the oppressor is not free?

He means that a person who robs another of freedom becomes a prisoner of hatred and prejudice, losing his own humanity in the process.

Who is the author of Long Walk to Freedom?

It is an extract from the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, the freedom fighter who became South Africa's first black President.

CBSE Class 10 First Flight · Chapter 2

Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Nelson Mandela

One man's journey from a personal dream of freedom to a nation's liberation

Summary

This extract from Nelson Mandela's autobiography describes the historic day his country held its first democratic, non-racial election and he was sworn in as South Africa's first black President. The grand ceremony in Pretoria, attended by leaders from across the world, marked the formal end of apartheid — the cruel system of racial segregation.

Mandela reflects on the cost of this freedom. He honours the countless heroes, known and unknown, who suffered and died so that this day could come. He explains how decades of oppression actually produced great courage and character in his people, and he defines a truly free society as one where neither the oppressed nor the oppressor is enslaved by hatred.

Looking back on his own life, Mandela describes how his hunger for personal freedom — to live as he wished — slowly grew into a hunger for the freedom of all his people. He admits that the oppressor must be liberated just as the oppressed must be, because a man who takes away another's freedom is himself a prisoner of prejudice.

Key points to remember

The setting: the inauguration ceremony on 10 May 1994 at the Union Buildings, Pretoria.
Apartheid is the central evil — a system of racial discrimination the new government overturns.
Mandela's key idea: courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.
True freedom means freeing both the oppressed and the oppressor from hatred.
The 'twilight' of personal freedom growing into the freedom of his whole nation.
Tribute to unnamed heroes and patriots who sacrificed their lives.
The 'two obligations' every man has — to his family, and to his people and country.

Important questions (board pattern)

6 marksWhat did the inauguration ceremony mean to Mandela and to South Africa?
How to answer: Link the personal moment to the national one — the birth of a free, democratic, non-racial society and the death of apartheid; mention the world leaders present.
3 marksHow does Mandela explain his idea of courage?
How to answer: Use his definition: brave men feel fear but conquer it; cite the example of his comrades who stood firm despite torture.
3 marksAccording to Mandela, what does true freedom mean?
How to answer: Explain that the oppressor and the oppressed both lose their humanity; freedom must release both from the chains of prejudice and hatred.
3 marksWhat were the two obligations Mandela speaks of, and why could he not fulfil them?
How to answer: Name the obligation to family and the obligation to people/country; explain that serving his people made a normal family life impossible under apartheid.
6 marksHow did Mandela's hunger for freedom change the course of his life?
How to answer: Trace the shift from wanting personal freedom to wanting freedom for all; show how this turned a law-abiding man into a bold, frightened, then fearless leader.

Common exam traps

Don't confuse 'apartheid' with simple poverty — it is specifically a policy of racial segregation.
Don't say courage means having no fear — Mandela's definition is conquering fear, not lacking it.
Don't forget the oppressor angle — many students mention only the oppressed; Mandela insists both must be freed.
Don't treat the chapter as the whole autobiography; it is only the extract about the inauguration and his reflections.

Frequently asked questions

When and where did Mandela's inauguration take place?: It took place on 10 May 1994 at the Union Buildings amphitheatre in Pretoria, attended by dignitaries and leaders from many countries.
What is apartheid?: Apartheid was a harsh system of racial segregation enforced in South Africa, under which black people were denied basic rights and kept apart from white people. The 1994 election formally ended it.
What does Mandela mean by saying the oppressor is not free?: He means that a person who robs another of freedom becomes a prisoner of hatred and prejudice, losing his own humanity in the process.
Who is the author of Long Walk to Freedom?: It is an extract from the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, the freedom fighter who became South Africa's first black President.