Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician who served as the first Black president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. His contribution to politics was monumental in dismantling apartheid, a system of institutionalized racial segregation, and fostering reconciliation within South Africa. Mandela's leadership and commitment to human rights earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He is respected globally as a symbol of resistance against oppression and advocate for peace and justice.