Long Walk to Freedom

Long Walk to Freedom

by

Nelson Mandela

Long Walk to Freedom Characters

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, the author of this autobiography, is a Black man from the Xhosa people in South Africa who is born into the Thembu royal family. Although his father loses much of his wealth, Mandela… read analysis of Nelson Mandela

Nomzamo Winifred “Winnie” Madikizela

Winnie is a Xhosa social worker who becomes Mandela’s second wife and an anti-apartheid activist. She marries Mandela not long before his legal troubles begin, and the two of them remain married through… read analysis of Nomzamo Winifred “Winnie” Madikizela

Jongintaba

Jongintaba is the regent of the Thembu people and is the father of Justice, eventually also becoming a surrogate father figure to Mandela when Mandela comes to live with him. Jongintaba is a just… read analysis of Jongintaba

Chief Albert Luthuli

Chief Albert Luthuli is a lifelong anti-apartheid activist who becomes president of the ANC and is an ally of Mandela’s. In general, Luthuli represents what began as the more radical and activist side… read analysis of Chief Albert Luthuli

Walter Sisulu

Walter Sisulu is a prominent anti-apartheid activist and ANC leader who becomes one of Mandela’s closest allies. He and Mandela are accused together at what later becomes known as the Rivonia Trial. The… read analysis of Walter Sisulu
Get the entire Long Walk to Freedom LitChart as a printable PDF.
Long Walk to Freedom PDF

Oliver Tambo

Oliver Tambo is a lawyer who starts a new firm with Mandela and eventually goes on to become one of his biggest allies in the anti-apartheid struggle, becoming president of the ANC after Luthuliread analysis of Oliver Tambo

F. W. de Klerk

F. W. de Klerk is the prime minister of South Africa who releases Mandela from prison. He has a complicated relationship with Mandela, with the two of them winning the Nobel Peace Prize jointly… read analysis of F. W. de Klerk

Robert Sobukwe

Robert Sobukwe is an anti-apartheid activist that Mandela admires, but the two of them are eventually at odds with each other once Sobukwe becomes the head of the PAC. The PAC champions Pan-Africanism… read analysis of Robert Sobukwe

Judge de Wet

Judge De Wet is the judge who presides over the Rivonia Trial, in which Mandela and several other anti-apartheid activists are tried. Although he is not as radically conservative as some of the other… read analysis of Judge de Wet

Justice

Justice is the son of Jongintaba, and he becomes like a brother to Mandela as the two of them go to school together and later run away to Johannesburg. Justice ends up succeeding Jongintaba… read analysis of Justice
Minor Characters
H. F. Verwoerd
Verwoerd is a Dutch-heritage South African prime minister who becomes one of the key figures in shaping apartheid. He enacts several racist laws and frequently uses brutal methods like imprisonment to stop his political opponents, which is what leads to Mandela’s long time in jail.
Chief Buthelezi
Chief Buthelezi is the head of the Inkatha, an African group that violently opposes the ANC, leading to strife as Mandela and others try to arrange South Africa’s first free democratic election.
Dr. Xuma
Dr. Xuma is a friend of Mandela’s family who helps Justice get a job near Johannesburg, not realizing that he and Mandela are running away from home. Dr. Xuma becomes the head of the ANC, but he resigns after the more activist wing of the party forces him out.
Evelyn Mase
Evelyn Mase is a nurse who became Mandela’s first wife. Their marriage ended in divorce, in part due to how much time Mandela was devoting to political activities and to Evelyn’s increasing involvement as a Jehovah’s Witness.
Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa (Mandela’s Father)
Mandela’s father is a member of the Thembu royal family in South Africa. He is deposed in a political dispute and loses much of his wealth, so he sends Mandela away to live with Jongintaba.
Nosekeni Fanny (Mandela’s Mother)
Mandela’s mother is one of several wives of Mandela’s father, known as the Right Hand wife. She dies while Mandela is in prison, which causes Mandela to think of his past and take stock of his life.
P. W. Botha
Botha is a prime minister of South Africa who continues the policy of apartheid. He is one of the first to contemplate releasing Mandela, but he only offers to do so under unfavorable terms.
Dr. Malan
Dr. Malan is a Dutch nationalist who becomes prime minister of South Africa and lays the groundwork for apartheid.
Zindziswa “Zindzi” Mandela
Zindzi is one of Mandela’s daughters with Winnie. She’s named after the daughter of a Xhosa poet, and at one point, the Mandelas forge her birth certificate to allow her to visit Mandela in prison.
Zenani “Zeni” Mandela
Zeni is one of Mandela’s daughters to goes to a boarding school in Swaziland with her sister Zindzi. She eventually marries into the Swazi royal family.
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu is a Nobel Peace Prize–winning anti-apartheid activist. He crosses paths with Mandela on a few occasions, like when he calls to congratulate Mandela on his release.
Madiba Thembekile
Madiba “Thembi” Thembekile is Mandela’s first son with Evelyn Mase. His death in a car crash while Mandela is in prison is a major tragedy of Mandela’s life.
Ahmed “Kathy” Kathrada
Kathy is an Indian anti-apartheid activist whom Mandela spends time with during his imprisonment on Robben Island.
Colonel Piet Badenhorst
Badenhorst is a brutal commanding officer who rules Robben Island for a short period of time before being forced out, partly due to Mandela’s official complaints about him.
Colonel Willemse
Colonel Willemse is a commanding officer at Robben Island who is slightly more just than Badenhorst and who meets with Mandela when he is negotiating his release.
Reverend Mabutho
Reverend Mabutho is a man who Mandela stays with near Johannesburg after he runs away from Jongintaba to avoid an arranged marriage.
Mr. Xhoma
Mr. Xhoma is a Black landowner near Johannesburg that Mandela briefly lives with after running away from Jongintaba.
Dr. Moroka
Dr. Moraka is elected president of the ANC after Dr. Xuma steps down. He has the support of Mandela and other younger activists at the time.
Robert Resha
Robert Resha is a journalist and ANC member whose comments get taken out of context to support the government’s case against Mandela.
Mac Maharaj
Mac Maharaj is a prisoner on Robben Island who helps Mandela smuggle a draft of his autobiography out of prison.
George Bizos
George Bizos is a lawyer and friend of the Mandelas who defends Winnie in court.
Kobie Coetsee
Kobie Coetsee is the South African minister of justice who doesn’t support Mandela, but who nevertheless plays a role in negotiating his release.
Dr. Barnard
Dr. Barnard heads a South African group similar to the CIA, and his presence at meetings about Mandela’s potential release often intimidates Mandela.
Dullah Omar
Dullah Omar is an attorney who represents Winnie.