Nelson Mandela was an activist.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( [ mænˈdɛlə ] 18 July 1918 -- 5 December 2013 ) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary , politician , and philanthropist , who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 . Although critics on the right denounced him as a communist terrorist and those on the radical left deemed him too eager to negotiate and reconcile with apartheid 's supporters , he gained international acclaim for his activism .