>> free mandela! >> say free mandela! >> free mandela! >> reporter: all the while, within south africa's borders, the armed struggle continues. during all this, the government transfers mandela from robben island to a prison on the mainland in march 1982. mandela, isolated from his comrade, sees an opportunity. >> he puts out feelers to say, i've entertained some visitors from the government and talk about how we have a mutual government or how we end apartheid or how we have democratic elections. >> reporter: the negotiations begin in secret. the government does not want it publicly known that they are speaking with the enemy. mandela by not consulting with the anc leadership knows they can disavow them if the negotiations go poorly. it is a risk he must take. >> the reason he made that decision is because he realized somebody had to start doing something. >> reporter: in 1988 the 70-year-old mandela is moved to yet another prison outside cape town. >> he's sent to another prison which is like a country club compared to where he had been

. >> teichner: pressure to free mandela built in and outside south africa. >> free mandela, free mandela! >> teichner: and then, in february 1990, south african president f.w. de klerk made a historic announcement. >> the government has taken a firm decision to release mr. mandela unconditionally. >> teichner: a moment forever seared into our memory. after more than a quarter century behind bars, nelson mandela stepped into the light. >> amandla! >> teichner: mandela at 71 emerged looking not like a broken prisoner, but like a king. >> he had won. but mandela is famous for his smile, but that smile is not there. and i believe he was deeply aware of the enormous challenge and responsibility that now lay on him. ♪ >> we will reach the goal of liberating the black people of this country within our lifetime. >> teichner: nelson mandela was free, but the fight for freedom was far from over. >> pelley: when we come back, "60 minutes'" bob simon reflects on mandela's journey from prisoner to president. honestly, i'm not looking for five-star treatment. i get times are tight. but it's hard to

>> remembering mandela. south africans gather to mourn the loss of a man who changed the nation and inspire generations. nelson mandela has died at the age of 95. thank for joining us on "france ." people around the world are gathering to mourn the loss of nelson mandela. this friday everyone from heads of state to people on the street are remembering mandela, who was both inspirational and controversial. and ray brown looks back at the life of nelson mandela. born in the former trance state territory on july 18, 1918, nelson mandela was meant to become a tribal chief like his father. instead he became a lawyer and the first -- in the first lack legal practice in johannesburg. he joined the congress in 19 -- in -- in his practice, he was exposed to the inhumanity's of apartheid on a daily basis. he decided to fight back. opting for nonviolence as a strategy. he was first arrested in 1956 and prosecuted on treason charges, which were later dropped. nancyars later he married winnie.s when he -- >> there are ma

ted says in an important way. >> mandela was there. mandela was in every exchange. we could not have done what we did in south africa had it not been for -- for mandela. >> in what way? >> in the sense that mandela exerted such moral suasion. >> the shows the also made a connection. the door with mandela was opponenten for y efor you becau week you did. >> he heard and knew what we had done. >> thed had a moment with mandea years later at a town meeting in the united states. i interrupted him and was going to say something else. and then he -- i thought was going to jump in and say something. so, i paused. and he said something like -- i don't know if i -- >> largely african-american crowd, at the town meeting, loved it. you know, here is the white anchor getting it right in the chops from the man himself. it was a great moment for him, for them, and not as the great for me. >> now a great story to tell. >> yeah. >> no they were not buddies. but for maybe a brief moment. they were both part of the story. something journalists are supposed to try not to be but some t

mandela. >> the iconic leader who had every reason to hate instead chose to forgive with 95-years-old. he guided south africa through its historic transaction to democracy. his current success with president jacob zuma told the world the news. >> south africans, our beloved no sin nelson mandela, the founding president of our democratic nation has departed. he passed on peacefully in the company of his family around 20:50 on the 5th of december, 2013. >> man zel la retired from public life years ago. he hasn't been seen in public since 2010 when they hosted the world cup. his health had been failing for quite some time n. recent years, he was in and out of hospital. mr. mandela's hospital has been moved to a military hospital in pretoria since the news broke, crowds have been gathering outside mandela's home in johannesburg. >> [ music playing ] >> they are singing, they are daning. they have been gathering there all throughout the night and they will continue during the day just after 506789

mandela, nelson mandela, president mandela, revolutionary mandela saved the future of south africa the moment he ascended to the heights of his own presidency and he embraced white south africans because he understood that the economy of south africa would not do well without the intentions of those white south africans being brought into the larger circle of south african economic and political privilege. so he understood that. but at the same time what he understood is that justice had to be done and that black people who had been long denied must now be recognized as human beings. so he didn't dismiss the humanity of white people, he embraced it by insisting that the humanity of black africans could be joined with the humanity of white africans and others. so they will remember him if they are righteous as a man who indeed saved their nation. >> all right. dr. eric dyson, please stay with us. joining me now someone who was outside the home in johannesburg, south africa. if you could tell us the scene outside the mandela home and the reaction of those who are outside the home tonight

>> no, mandela, mandela was not really able to get all this information. despite all that, it was the anc in exile led by oliver tambo, whose name is forgotten, who really put the pressure. this is told in a new movie, and it's playing in new york and l.a. now. but on christmas day, it goes to 2,000 screens. >> i'm hoping that we -- >> in america. and i was fortunate to be in south africa and film the making and the meaning of this movie and this book. because the producers know that a movie can't tell the whole story. >> we're hoping to have a star in the film right here next week. congresswoman barbara lee and danny shechter, thank you both for your time. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back. >>> we have waited too long for our people. we can no longer wait. now is the time to intensify this progress on all fronts. to elect our efforts now, which generations to come will not be able to forgive. >> that was nelson mandela's first speech after his release from prison in february 11th, 1990. mandela was a rare global figure, a man who went from revolutionar

mandela. >> that is an amazing story. we have heard from american presidents over the last day who really seem to be in awe of nelson mandela. they treat him like he truly was different. to you, what made him so special? >> i think what made -- by the way, i don't think i realized just quite how important mr. mandela was in all of the years that i spent with him in pretty much. the first two years, we didn't see a lot of him. i was in a section that wasn't allowed to interact with people in his section. i don't think at the time i recognized and realized how important mr. mandela was to south africa and world politics. the first time i realized was the first concert in london, i just got a shock of my life and realized for the first time just how important mr. mandela was and the gravitose he is recognized. he became an important member of our organization and nothing more. >> tell me, when he did get out of prison, did it surprise you that he chose reconciliation over revenge? >> no. i wasn't surprised at all. from the t

mandela was so different. by embracing the old order, he neutralized them. >> let's listen in just to hear what the crowds are hearing. >> let's bring in our jill dougherty. so many more to come. >> there are. sorry? >> go ahead, jill. >> there are 91 of them. as we're looking at this, it reminds, i think, us of the power of moral force and people come into history at a particular point who are the turning point. nelson mandela just pointed out he did not destroy. in almost like a gorbachev or a nelson mandela at another where they were able to turn, but they do not destroy, they do not -- later if nelson mandela had gone in a different direction, it might have led to a horrible, horrible bloody conflict that would have consumed that entire area. but he didn't. that is the power of one individual in the moral force that i think people even if they are the powerful as you see them walking in here, they are all moved by this one man who, from a prison cell, was able to change things and the power of his ideas th

mandela. >> his life was pretty great then. >> obviously, you weren't around when a lot of the bad things happen. >> you are showing my age, john. i think yo are showing my life. as i mentioned to you elier, this was very symbolic especially because he is from a tribe i guess what i was getting at with the age thing there are certain people that really didn't experience the civil rights movement in the united states. they see this as a landscape of opportunity, and there is room for growth. and so i knew about that, as a young person, in the 90's and i grew up in the south, so in 90s in the south, you can still had a great deal of racial tension. and my parents made sure i knew about nelson, and i think my schoolmates did as welt. >> so it is so personal to so many people. including african-americans in the united states. because there are sort of in some ways parallel tracts. talk about the u.s., and apartheid in south africa, right? >> we picketed with with them. we were there. >> we appreci

he told of one of winnie mandela's visits and her requests. >> she said please can i show mandela from a distance. i said, no, no. >> reporter: no children allowed, not even mandela's precious new grandbaby. what winnie didn't know was while he waited in a holding area, that jailer secretly brought the baby to mandela. >> there were tears coming out of his eyes. >> nobody knew? >> nobody knew. >> reporter: the whole wheat bread they would bring from home and the secret code. >> i would show him this. mandela immediately know i'm bugged. i was bugged a lot of times. >> you lied to keep your job and to keep your friendship with mandela? >> that's correct. >> reporter: during all of those isolating years on robben island the prison guard said there was one view of the country that nelson mandela loved. that was the very top of table mountain here in cape town behind me, that he would look to this view wondering if he was ever be free. but mandela was always preparing for that day. he asked the jailer to teach him afrikaa afrikaans. on the day mandela was released, his speech was delivered

for nelson mandela, it was another day in the life of nelson mandela. he's meeting people who are so inspired by him and taken with what he has achieved, and all he does is make you feel comfortable, like you are the important one. >> it's good. tilt it down. >> the reflection. the portrait metaphor of "the man in the mirror" is a metaphor for south africa. his spirit. what he represents is in every single one of the people here. for the portrait it was strong for me that we needed to reflect upon ourselves about what nelson mandela had achieved, and nelson mandela's life. i think given access to shoot that portrait was a life-changing experience for the whole group. we were all very nervous. i photographed him a few times before, but not a proper portrait sitting. there's an intimacy to that. i looked up. all the crew were crying. the 2012 birthday shoot was a special shoot. sending that intimate time with the family and madeba. the family adore him and cherish the time they had with him. for many of the family they lost him for 27 years. to have this

nelson mandela, mr. nelson mandela, a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa. >> reporter: it was a long walk nelson mandela took, a walk that lasted nearly a century, a walk to freedom and human dignity. a walk he ended up taking the whole world on along with him. >> on behalf of our rainbow nation, i welcome you all. >> reporter: nelson mandela towered over them. a moral and political leader of surpassing strength, implacable determination, and profound decency. >> i am a product of africa. and the long-cherished dream of a rebirth that can now be realized. so that all of our children may play in the sun. >> reporter: mandela was born in 1918 into the royal family of the tembu people, but he grew up under apartheid, the vicious system of racial segregation and oppression by which the white minority ruled south africa. it's hard today to imagine the pure evil of that system. abject poverty for blacks and severe restrictions on travel, education and employment. whites enjoyed all of the

talk show titan oprah winfrey weighing in on mandela's passing. >> winfrey, who credits mandela as the inspiration for her school in south africa, said being in his fence was like sitting with grace and majesty at the same time. and she added, one of the great honors of my life was to be invited to nelson mandela's home, spend private time and get to know him. he was everything you heard and more. humble and unscathed by bitterness. >> that is completely understandable. mandela once said sports has the power to change the world. >> the 1995 rugby world cup in south africa, mandela donned the home team's jersey, which for generations had been linked to white south africa. it was a moment of national reconciliation. >> tiger woods, among the major sports stars weighing in on his death. woods and his father met mandela in 1998. >> he had an impact on my life and my father. and that time frame in which -- when he came out, could have -- the country could have fallen apart. it could have gone a lot of different ways. and he led it to where it's at now. and the world's going to miss him. >>

mandela and others were sentenced to life in prison. racial tension flared to new levels and the institution of apartheid began to unravel. >> these state of affairs can no longer be tolerated. >> reporter: the south african government secretly met with mandela to try to negotiate peace. in 1990 after years of hard bargaining mandela was released from prison. once freed he was immediately called upon to lead. townships were descending into anarchy as groups battled one another as well as the state. civil war was a real threat. for years mandela worked to end apartheid with the white president, frederick declerk. he had won a nobel peace prize for it. in 1994 mandela was elected the first black president, and it was also the first vote he was allowed to cast. >> of our hopes and dreams that we have cherished . >> reporter: today, mandela's great granddaughter remembered him. >> the future without madiba. you are in our memory. you tower over the walls leaving streaks of light for us to follow. we salute you. >> one of mandela's most impo

mandela understood that. he somehow had an understanding that you had to preserve the old order even though this was an order that had been so vicious, so cruel. remember, to have that kind of sense of forgiveness. this is a regime that did not allow him to attend the funeral of his first born son in 1968. his son died in a car accident. and the apartheid regime did not allow him to visit his family, go to the funeral, nothing. and he looks at that regime and he says, i'll going on preserve this bureaucracy. this army, this police force because that's the only way to preserve south africa. he goes for truth and reconciliation rather than even justice. it was truth and reconciliation was a system which said, you can air your grievances but really no one will go to jail. no one will lose their jobs. the ideas were all in this together in the new south africa. and the final piece is he left office. in 1999 when he left office after one term, i don't think there were many. i don't think there were any black afric

[applause] >> if any of you heard nelson mandela, you sounded just like nelson mandela. it was frightening. notice the great portrait of nelson mandela behind me at the top of the staircase. i will be lobbying soon to replace that with a more current photograph. san francisco is indeed blessed and has been for many, many years. and then somebody comes along and enhances that even more. and only one time has somebody been four times a cabinet member, closest thing we will ever have to a president is the chief of protocol's secretary. charlotte is the chief of protocol, george scultz is her secretary. so on her stairs, in this rotunda, charlotte will present to you her husband and secretary, george schultz. [applause] >> thank you charlotte for that brilliant introduction. we're here to mourn and celebrate the life of nelson mandela. i have on a dark suit and a bright tie to symbolize those sentiments. what did we make of his life? in reflection and thinking about it, he was a man of action he fought continuously, effectively, and as his effects grew, his african national

he is close to mandela. let's listen to what he has to say. >> let us give him the gift of south africa in spirit, one. god, thank you for the gift of midiva. thank you for what he has enabled us to know we can become. help us to become that kind of nation. lessen to the word of our savior, jesus christ, i give you a a new command. love one another as i have loved you, so are you to love one another. if there is this love among you, then all will know that you are disciples newcomeewcomerwc.. are my disciples newcomeewcome . the peace of the lord always business with you. >> andals with you. . >> desmond tutu is holding a church service in capetown for nelson mandela. the two men were very close. they not apartheid together especially throughout the 1980s yes, he has lost a close friend as many people have. >> we will probably be hearing from him today as well, it's very touching to see him walk out and embrace the south african black and whites who are in that church today. >> many, many more memorials to c

mandela, mr. nelson mandela. a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa. >> after all of those years in prison, mandela could have used his political power to fuel a wave of violence against white oppressors. instead he spoke of one country. >> i greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all. >> mandela and south african president f.w. de klerk formed an unlikely alliance that in 1993 would win them both the nobel peace prize. a year later, mandela would run for president himself. the stunning aerial images in the towns surrounding johannesburg. the people of south africa lining up for miles allowed to vote for the first time. and nelson mandela, among them. it was a milestone filled with symbolism. a black man, former political prisoner, about to become president. >> it was exciting to be able to exercise a right which in my 76 years was denied to me. i felt very excited, it was as i already said, the realization of a long cherished dream. >> south africa belongs to all its peo

mandela. they had been sell mates together or on the same cell block. he told a powerful story about the impact nelson mandela had on him and the guards in the prison. he was still in prison at the time, and this person talked about how the guards at robin island understand stood what sort of man mandela was, respected him, listened to him, were eddie educated by him. that was a powerful message no a young college student about this person who went on to become president of stojakovic. >> any recollection of affect that mandela has had on american politics? >> i think the president will speak to that in just a short time. the question that the first african-american president certainly watched what happened with nelson mandela in stojakovic. it had had.tory it has had an affect on politics here, the anti-apartheid movement, to pass sanctions here in congress, the debate that took place here in the united states over constructive engagement. >> also the withdrawal of u.s. investment dollars to

>> you know, i think with somebody like mandela, it's tempting to just remember the postcard mandela, the person who brought people together after he was freed from captivity, but you have to remember the context in which he lived. i mean, you had in south africa sort of the inverse of what you had in the american civil rights movement. you had a native african population that was seven times larger than the ruling class that essentially turned them and enslaved them in their own country. they were need not even a second, a third class citizen, a non-person within a land that they called their anses tral home. and the national african congress and nelson mandela tried to fight this oppression in various ways. sometimes through violent struggle. they would try non-violence. they were met with incredible violence. it was intense and incredible. so what mandela forgave is something that is almost indescribable for many. this is what came after the generation of vietnam. then you had the fight against vietnam. but for a lot of people, particularly in the 1980s, it was this. it was the fig

but mandela's only personal life suffered. the mandelas divorced. mandela stepped down after serving only one term, setting a new standard on a continent for president for life. at the same time mandela had set the bar so high it would be close to impossible for anyone to fill his shoes or think of south africa as anything but a nation, creating problems for anyone not the icon mandela had become. not least because the icon stayed in the adoring public's eye. on his 80th birthday mandela married his third life, graca machel, widow of president machel. mandela announced his retirement from public life. >> don't call me.[ laughter ] >> i'll call you[ laughter ] >> but even in his later years,. joined by his wife in their advocacy for the world's children and boldly making up on the silence in hiv and aids dade dating back to his own time in office. mandela began to realize the disease was threatening the freedom he sought to assure, not to mention taking the life of his one son. talking about the ability that others of high position to join him though

. >> nelson mandela and the new president is no nelson mandela. south africa has some problems in front of of them. >> we'll take a break. after a break, this is al jazeera america. >> we are back, welcome back to the continuing coverage of the death of nelson mandela. look at this. this is the apollo theatre in harlem. >> that's beautiful. >> memory of nelson mandela. >> remember the days before apartheid was over, you could go to harlem and buy the stalls that the guys were selling, "free nelson mandela." it was nelson mandela central. >> i was actually in a room, in a theatre, and i can't remember the year. i've been trying to think of the year, and he was there. i saw stephen harper of canada, all of canada mourns with the family, and the citizens of south africa, the world had lost one of its great moral leaders. do we have a picture of nelson mandela the rugby team? >> yeah, there was a movie made about that. >> yes. >> this is just a very telling moment. black people in south africa, played soccer, that's the june form that he is wearing wh

nelson mandela is at rest. let us now be guided and inspired by the spirit he gave all of us, the flame of human rights, the beaker of hope. nelson mandela fought throughout his life for each and every one of us. it is the duty of all of us who loved him to keep his memory alive in our hearts and to embody his -- in our eyes. may he rest in peace. thank you. thank you very much. >> we just heard from the u.n. secretary general, ban ki-moon. he hit several important themes for the south african people. and some of them were, of course, the rainbow nation, hoping someday the dream is realized as a rainbow world and pointing out that nelson mandela said he wasn't just one man. the crowd loved that, of course. we are waiting for the u.s. president barack obama. he is supposed to be speaking upcoming. right now, we have jim acosta with us. you came with the president, obviously. >> that's right. >> what did you see in terms of security in the process of getting here, what was it like. >> lots of security, chris. the

mandela, you inspired us. so that was his unbelievable relationship twn what was happening in america and what happened in south africa. we were there from time to time. the struggle in thelmar is -- from the struggling sharpville. >> one of the reasons i wanted to talk to you today, congressman, was reading about and thinking about and trying to understand the importance of those decisions made by mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders after sharpville when they decided nonviolence wasn't enough. they have been committed to nonviolence in the way that you have been committed to nonviolence throughout your life even in the face of incredible peru at that time. they decided that they needed a military response, as well. it never ended up being the key part in their response to apartheid. how international were those discussions about the porps of on nonviolence and whether or not it was enough to overthrow governments and to change the world? >> here in america and around the world, there was ongoing discussi

the death of nelson mandela. south africa's foreign minister. at mandela's insistence. he served in the first post apartheid government. >> that kept nelson mandela in jail, and he then served under mandela in south africa's first cabinet. it was his task to publicly defend the continued imprisonment of mandela and other political developments. privately he long lobbied for mandela's release. >> due to the effect that mandela ought to be released that we are making a bigger martyr of him every day that he stays in prison. and that is international acclaim. and it would be growing to an extent that we would not be able to hand it will any longer. unfortunately at that time it was. >> eight years later nelson mandela bake a free man. >> he spent 27 years in prison. and the day he was released he displayed the--he displayed the acumen and energy of a person who has been a president before, amazing. amazing what insight he had in the minds of people. and for that matter into world affairs. >> and central to the success of the negotiation that led to the transfer of power, w

. >>> remembering nelson mandela. this morning the world remembering that man, mourning the loss of a legend. south africa's former president hailed for his courage and decency and message of equality. welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira. it is 5:00 in the east. >>> nelson mandela whose unbreakable will and unsurpassed courage brought an end to an era of white domination in south africa. he is dead this morning at the age of 95. mandela was such a global icon with larger than life legend who went from a prison cell to the presidency and he did it with such unmashed grace. i want to bring in robin curnow live from johannesburg. set the scene for us today, robin. >> the announcement was made just before midnight on thursday. so many south africans didn't really know that their icon had passed on. it was only when they woke up this morning that they perhaps looked at the newspapers or heard on the radio. much of this country is quite rule countryside and they would have seen headlines like

that's a look at the social media impact of the death of nelson mandela. >>> the death of nelson mandela has touched communities all around the world. in the uk ordinary people are remembering the impact he had on their lives. >> we just saw a picture from outside south africa house on twitter, and that's because many of the anti-apartheid cers fled to london, and it was an issue at the heart of the political awakening of a generation. >> while hundreds have been gathering outside south africa house here in london, site of so many protests in the '70s and '80s. lawrence lee has more. >> reporter: left wingers used to be held to abuse for holding protests. now it's a shrine. people arriving to talk eagerly about what nelson mandela meant to them. this man produced what was clearly a treasured souvenir, his head just peaks from the background during nelson mandela's visit in the 1990s. >> he taught us as much about ourselves as much as how we should treat other people. but that time -- i always say this is the sort of greatest moment of my working life was that day. >> because you saw mand

mandela. >> a solute from mr. nelson mandela, his wife winnie, greeting the people outside the fences of the prison. that is the man the world has been waiting to see. his first public appearance in nearly three decades. >> when nelson mandela walked free out of prison, the people of south africa were free. but when he walked out, everyone was walking on air, and it was a -- the most joyous moment of all our lives. >> today the majority of south africans, black and white, recognize that apartheid has no future. >> after 27 years, nelson mandela was free and south africa has taken its first steps towards democracy but those decades in prison took a toll on his health and his family. . >>> one of the saddest moments in my>>> one of the saddest mom in my life in prison was the death of my mother. she came a couple tough times to visit me, but the last time she came to see me, as she left i looked at her and she walked up. i have the feeling that i have seen her for the last time and that was the case. the shattering

long lived the spirit of nelson mandela. long live the spirit of nelson mandela. madiba mandela. viva! thank you very much. to the president, and the pretty president -- >>> we welcome you back to our live continuing coverage of this memorial for nelson mandela. reached the noon hour here. 5:00 a.m. east coast time in the united states on a very t unpleasant day weatherwise. heavy rain, lots of it, increasing winds. most of the dignitaries you will see are, a, behind bullet-proof glass, b, a layer of glass separates them from the crowd behind them, but importantly, they are also covered from the rain, though. in fairness, some of it a falling close to sideways. in the v.i.p. section, as the formerer leader of south africa apparently e joys a piece of gum, you'll see people from all over the world, and the patchwork of politics is very much a part of this day. the official ceremony is getting under way, even though we don't yet i have in attendance, for example, all of the u.s. presidents, all of the official invited guests. we can report traffic is fairly well bottled up. there's

mandela also faced obstacles. while obama only met the south african leader once, president obama clearly understands the meaning of mandela. i was in college when mandela was freed from prison. in 1990 i traveled to oakland to see him during his visit to the u.s. on a victory tour, of sorts. he thank ed the tens of thousans gathered in the oakland sun for his support and toppling the right racist regime. his pure joy talking to the crowd is what i will always remember. i welcome this moment to pay tribute to nelson mandela as a figure who can inspire human beings to be better people. he exuded patience, principal as well as grace as a person. even after so much had been taken from him, he kept his heart open and changed the world. up next here, more on mandela and his relationship with the u.s. with our political roundtable after this short break. [ mom ] because we have people over so often, we've learned how to stretch our party budget. ♪ the only downer? my bargain brand towel made a mess of things. so goodb

he said it was mandela. at the moment i saw winnie peek around the curtain that separated us from the first class section. mandela would say hello to all of us at the end of the flight and he did just that. he shook our hands. he was greeted in zimbabwe to celebrate their ten-year anniversary of independence pfsty red carpet that rolled out, flowers, chants, singers. it was incredible the excitement many felt just seeing the man after his release. eight years later, i had the rare opportunity of ming him again in 1998 as a young reporter covering bill clinton's trip to africa. as one of the pool reporters got to cover the tour, the mandela gave the tour to the clintons where he showed them his prison cell number five where he was held for 18 years. he was thoughtful, no sense of bitterness and clinton told mandela on that trip that he was glad his heart did not return to stone. i returned to that cell just last year on a tour and there's been fresh paint, it's a national museum. but what strikes you is that

>> free mandela! >> say free mandela! >> free mandela! >> reporter: all the while, within south africa's borders, the armed struggle continues. during all this, the government transfers mandela from robben island to a prison on the mainland in march 1982. mandela, isolated from his comra comrade, sees an opportunity. >> he puts out feelers to say, i've entertained some visitors from the government and talk about how we have a mutual government or how we end apartheid or how we have democratic elections. >> reporter: the negotiations begin in secret. the government does not want it publicly known that they are speaking with the enemy. mandela by not consulting with the anc leadership nknows they can disavow them if the negotiations go poorly. it is a risk he must take. >> the reason he made that decision is because he realized somebody had to start doing something. >> reporter: in 1988 the 70-year-old mandela is moved to yet another prison outside cape town. >> he's sent to another prison which is like a country club compared to where he h

i think that spirit you're hearing outside nelson mandela's home is part of that notion that nelson mandela has transitioned to a different place. we almost think of him as a super human person. i've thought in those months when we were there in south africa, when he first went to the hospital over these weeks and months and through his wisdom he's been preparing the nation an his this world for this. and one of the things that will happen in the immediate af ma aftermath of his passing will be south africa coming together as nelson mandela wanted him to come together. i suspect those not outside singing tonight will hear the news but sad for a moment but it will bring the nation together sort of like the soccer matches did when the country hosted the world soccer cup a few years ago. i guess the one hope one would have is these remembrances of mandela will make a difference in his country today. he so much wanted his country to be united. >> we will join you in hoping for exactly that as dawn breaks across south africa, from washington. let's take a moment here and look back at this life i

>>> this sunday, nelson mandela. a special person whose world course changed world events. >> he was a president that embodied that human beings and countries can change for the better. >> his enduring power is that he showed us there is true freedom in forgiveness. >> we'll look at mandela's life, his policy, and how he handled criticism. it's all part of his enduring legacy. my guests, tom brokaw, civil rights leader reverend jesse jackson. and harry smith talks to poet maya angelou as she mourns a good friend. >> and that's what he brought, was deliverance and ignorance. >> i'll have all that ahead on "meet the press," sunday, december 8. >>> the world's longest running television program, this is "meet the press." >>> and good sunday morning. it is a day of prayer and reflection in south africa as the nation mourns its former president, nelson mandela. flags are also at half staff at the white house this morning. president obama and the first lady will be going to south africa on tuesday. and former presidents ji

nelson mandela. saying, "meeting nelson mandela at his house in johannesburg was a truly memorable moment in life for me. he was an angel." >>> and as we pay tribute to nelson mandela, a celebration of his life. >> truly. these artists are coming out more and more throughout the entire day we get updates via e-mail of who was tweeting out next. presidents tweeting out and not only the people who are in hollywood. of course we leave you with one example of the way his life inspired artists everywhere. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> if you are like us, your facebook and twitter feeds are filling up with quotesnelson >>> if you are like us, your facebook and twitter feeds are filling up with quotes by nelson mandela. >> his words inspired justice in his own nation and the better part of the last century they moved men and women just about everywhere. here's nelson mandela in his own words. >> south africa is a -- there's room for all the various races in this country. to spend 27 years at the

mandela and others were sentenced to life in prison. racial tension flared to new levels and the institution of apartheid began to unravel. >> these state of affairs can no longer be tolerated. >> reporter: the south african government secretly met with mandela to try to negotiate peace. in 1990 after years of hard bargaining mandela was released from prison. once freed he was immediately called upon to lead. townships were descending into anarchy as groups battled one another as well as the state. civil war was a real threat. for years mandela worked to end apartheid with the white president, frederick declerk. he had won a nobel peace prize for it. in 1994 mandela was elected the first black president, and it was also the first vote he was allowed to cast. >> of our hopes and dreams that we have cherished . >> reporter: today, mandela's great granddaughter remembered him. >> the future without madiba. you are in our memory. you tower over the walls leaving streaks of light for us to follow. we salute you. >> one of mandela's most impo

it was nelson mandela who created that democracy. that is the miracle that astonished the world and made him such a world figure. he was well known while he was in prison, but when he came out of prison, there was a great question about what would happen. would there be a terrible bloodbath, with they get through the passage to democracy with apartheid? it was because of nelson mandela and his character that they did. the world recognized a peacemaker, and he developed a moral stature in the world that helped him bring south africa into the world community, help them reintegrate into the world terrible it aow role in various hot spots the world. he was very close to president bill clinton. frankly, he could not stand the policies of president george w. bush, which he saw as imperialistic. that was a bit of a public- relations problem for the bush white house. the election of barack obama, the kind of change towards a multiracial society that he saw in south africa as well. it was not just south africa that nelson mandela was revoluti

mandela, however, has denied it. there are a couple of people from our movement who say, well, he was in the communist party. there's no documentation. formally a member. i think we have to accept that. there's no conclusive proof. theren if he had been, were great people who joined. mandela certainly showed he was sympathetic. he was very full of respect for those communist. >> the south african communist , last weekie kasrils said at his arrest in august 1962, nelson mandela was not only a member of the then underground south african commonest party but also a member of our party central committee. we have to take a break. just a 32nd response. >> sure thing. >> we will take a break and get your response, ronnie kasrils, leading anti-apartheid activist, top military official under president nelson mandela and served on the african national congress executive committee for 20 years. for somederground quarter of a century. stay with us. ♪ [music break] >> this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace

mandela. out of all the people you have been friends with and struggled with, what makes nelson mandela so uniquely different? >> the people i have been privileged to serve, nelson mandela was the one i least suspected i would ever come to me, personally. i tried several times when he was incarcerated, to gain the privilege of visiting him, but the system would not permit that. himarted corresponding with while he was in prison. i had come to be aware of him through my mentor, the man who i most admired, paul robeson. e was very close to king against thewas apartheid system in the early day of its presence in south africa. he was the first black man to ever receive the nobel prize. looking at south africa from that prison, i began to become more aware of what the african national congress was doing, and what the leadership was aspiring to do, to make the decisions that would help us fight the struggle that the south african people were fighting in resisting apartheid. >> is one thing to work a

nelson mandela's day is done. the news expected and still unwelcome reached us in the united states and suddenly our world became somber. our skies were lead ened. his day is done. >> schieffer: we're going to close our broadcast this morning with your poem, but i wanted to ask you, how did you come to write this? how did this come about and when did you do it? >> thank you. the state department approached me -- state department telephoned me when he was very sick about a year and half ago asked if i would write a poem -- write a tribute to him from my people, from the american people. and i said, yes. i wrote it, but also had to agree that i would not even speak about it or release it until 48 hours after he was actually dead and i agreed. so i did it and i sent it to them, to the state department. the state department sent a crew down and i recorded it. but then i never mentioned it again to anyone, including -- close friends and family members. i just wouldn't do it. >> schieffer: you didn't mention it to us, w

. >> pelley: author maya angelou knew mandela since 1960. >> nelson mandela represents the best any of us can hope for. he was a great man. and i'm grateful, the world is better for having him. >> pelley: mandela biographer john carlin told us this evening it tells you all you need to know that mandela will be mourned equally in south africa by blacks and whites alike. now to another important story this evening. today an american teacher was gunned down in benghazi, libya, the city where the u.s. ambassador was killed lastier by islamic mill fants. here's bob orr. >> reporter: as he and his wife anita left texas for libya ronnie smith made this video for his austin church. he talked about his need to spread a spiritual message. smith worried about adapting to a foreign culture but said faith would guide him. >> if there is any single person in the entire universe that you can take a chance on, it's god. >> reporter: smith took a job teaching chemistry at the international school in benghazi. this morning as he was jogging along this street, smith was shot and killed by gunmen riding i

it's mandela. we understand what he really means. >> charles, in 1952, he actually gave a talk at a dinner where he predicted in 1952 that he, nelson mandela, would be the first elected president of a free and democratic south africa and that actually came to happen. how would you judge his handling the presidency as that first democratically elected president in south african history? >> well, i'm glad you said that because he was the first democratically elected president of south africa, not the first black president. and he was that because for the first time everybody had a right to vote, including africans, and it made a big difference. i was born in 1952, so i have no memory of this speech in 1952 but i do remember as a student at stanford being involved in the divestment movement, trying to make sure that not just south africa but southern africa would divest from this system and apartheid would be ended. that was continued when i went to law school in the '70s and continued when i went to

we begin with nelson mandela. it would have been ground breaking enough to become south africa's first black president, but he was so much more not only to