Ngo 1991, uMandela wamukeliswa ukuba ahlonishwe njengoDokotela inyuvesi yase Witwatersrand eGoli ngokuzinikela kwakhe ezibophezela ezweni nokubonisa ukuba ngomholi oqinile izwe lase Ningizimu Afrika elaka lamubona.
uMadiba wayengokhuthazayo futhi usaqhubeka nokuba ngonjalo kubantu bomhlaba jikelele kanti ifa lomlando wakhe lisinika ithemba, ukubekezela kanye nokulwela inkululeko lokhu yikhona okwakhuthaza inyuvesi ukuba imuhloniphe ngalendodo emfanele ukumhlonipha.
uMandela wamukela nezinye ezinigi izindodo zokumhlonipha ngeziqu azizuzayo kubalwa neyokumhlonipha yobuDokotela kwezobuMmeli eNyuvesi yase Lesotho, i Peace Prize ngo 1990, Neyokumhlonipha ngezobu Dokotela Inyuves yase Stellenbosch kwaba iNobel Peace Prize 1993
“Umcabango osekhanda eliphusile kanye nenhliziyo enhle kuhlezi kwiyinhlanganisela enhle.kodwa uma kulokho ufaka ulimi olunokwazi nokuqonda kwemfundo noma ipeni, laphoke unokukhethekile.”~ Nelson Mandela