The first black president of South Africa who helped end apartheid was

• A. Desmond Tutu
• B. Oliver Tambo
• C. F. W. de Klerk
• D. Nelson Mandela

Answer: (D)

Nelson Mandela’s leadership during South Africa’s transition from apartheid and his election as the country’s first black president show how sustained resistance, imprisonment, and negotiated reform can dismantle an entrenched system of racial segregation. Mandela spent 27 years in prison for anti-apartheid activities, and after his release he helped broker the end of apartheid through talks with the white government, paving the way for the first multiracial elections in 1994 in which he became president. His presidency emphasized reconciliation, constitutional reform, and inclusive governance, marking the move away from apartheid. Desmond Tutu, though a vital moral voice; Oliver Tambo, a key ANC organizer in exile; and F. W. de Klerk, the white president who helped end apartheid, all played important roles but did not become the country’s president.