Nelson Mandela 1918 - 2013 (Rest in Peace Madiba) Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. For most South Africans, Nelson Mandela is the father of their nation and many even called him Tata, a Xhosa word for father. It was sometimes forgotten that he was also a real father, grandfather, great-grandfather and husband Mandela himself offered a glimpse into his personal war. To be the father of a nation is a great honour, but to be the father of a family is a greater joy. But it was a joy I had far too little of, he said in April 1992.