Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception


The South African activist and former president Nelson Mandela (1918-) helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global advocate for human rights. A member of the African National Congress party beginning in the 1940s, he was a leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white minority’s oppressive regime in a racially divided South Africa. His actions landed him in prison for nearly three decades and made him the face of the antiapartheid movement both within his country and internationally. Released in 1990, he participated in the eradication of apartheid and in 1994 became the first black president of South Africa, forming a multiethnic government to oversee the country’s transition. Since retiring from politics in 1999, he has remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in his own nation and around the world. LINK

 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is sometimes called by other names.

Each name has its own special meaning and story. When you use them you should know what you are saying and why. So here is a brief explanation of each name.

Rolihlahla – This is Mr Mandela’s birth name: it is an isiXhosa name which means “pulling the branch of a tree”, but colloquially it means “troublemaker”. His father gave him this name.

Nelson – This name was given to him on his first day at school by his teacher, Miss Mdingane. Giving African children English names was a custom among Africans in those days and was influenced by British colonials who could not easily, and often would not, pronounce African names. It is unclear why Miss Mdingane chose the name “Nelson” for Mr Mandela.

Madiba – This is the name of the clan of which Mr Mandela is a member. A clan name is much more important than a surname as it refers to the ancestor from which a person is descended. Madiba was the name of a Thembu chief who ruled in the Transkei in the 18th century. It is considered very polite to use someone’s clan name.

Tata – This isiXhosa word means “father” and is a term of endearment that many South Africans use for Mr Mandela. Since he is a father figure to many, they call him Tata regardless of their own age.

Khulu – Mr Mandela is often called “Khulu”, which means great, paramount, grand. The speaker means “Great One” when referring to Mr Mandela in this way. It is also a shortened form of the isiXhosa word “uBawomkhulu” for “grandfather”.

Dalibhunga – This is the name Mr Mandela was given at the age of 16 once he had undergone initiation, the traditional Xhosa rite of passage into manhood. It means “creator or founder of the council” or “convenor of the dialogue”. The correct use of this name when greeting Mr Mandela is “Aaah! Dalibhunga”.

Other names – Of course, Mr Mandela’s family use many terms of endearment for him. His grandchildren use variants of “Grandfather”, like “Granddad” for instance. Mrs Graça Machel frequently uses “Papa”.

Nelson Mandela sings with his communist comrades about killing white people.

For decades the ANC propagated this extreme hatred towards the white minority of South Africa. Has this contributed to the extreme violence being perpetrated against the white minority of South Africa today?

FAQ:
Q:What does "bhulu" really mean?
A: Answer from answers.yahoo.com by: Porgie (abridged)
It does in fact mean "white people". 
Black South Africans used to and some still call "white South Africans" boer. It's a word derived from the Afrikaans word for farmer. 
"Ama" is the Xhosa prefix that means "a lot of"
"bhulu" is the Xhosa word for "boer"
The Xhosa people have a difficult time pronouncing "R", because the Xhosa pronounce this letter as the "ch" in Reich. They therefore substituted the "r" at the end of "boer" with the letter ''L". Lastly the "oe" sound is in fact "oo" as in moo or goo. The Xhosa people substituted this sound with the letter "u".
So a direct translation should really be "boers", the plural for "boer"
Definition of "boer": (NOUN: A Dutch colonist or descendant of a Dutch colonist in South Africa. ETYMOLOGY: Afrikaans, from Dutch, farmer, from Middle Dutch gheboer, peasant; see bheu- in Indo-European roots)
And that's the story of "amabhulu". Some may find it offensive and some may translate it as negative. 
Source(s):
I'm a language practitioner with majors in Afrikaans/Dutch and Xhosa. (by Porgie)

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