Q 01/05

How many years did Mandela spend in prison?

A) 18

B) 21

C) 27

D) 24

Answer · why

C) 27

He was held on Robben Island and then in two mainland prisons before his release in 1990.

Q 02/05

What does Mandela's Xhosa forename, Rolihlahla, colloquially mean?

A) 'Firstborn'

B) 'Peacemaker'

C) 'Troublemaker'

D) 'Gift of the ancestors'

Answer · why

C) 'Troublemaker'

He got the English name Nelson from a teacher at his Methodist primary school.

Q 03/05

By what clan name is Mandela affectionately known in South Africa?

A) Madiba

B) Dalibunga

C) Qamata

D) Thembu

Answer · why

A) Madiba

Dalibunga was the name he received after his circumcision ritual at 16.

Q 04/05

In which village was Mandela born on 18 July 1918?

A) Soweto

B) Qunu

C) Mvezo

D) Umtata

Answer · why

C) Mvezo

He grew up in his mother's kraal in nearby Qunu, where he tended herds and later built a house.

Q 05/05

To which royal family did Mandela belong?

A) The Thembu

B) The Swazi

C) The Pondo

D) The Zulu

Answer · why

A) The Thembu

His branch of the family was a 'Left-Hand House', ineligible for the throne but hereditary royal councillors.