Nelson Mandela became the embodiment of the new South Africa when white rule came to an end in 1994. This BBC News Online special report was compiled as he relinquished the presidency to his successor, Thabo Mbeki, following elections in June 1999.
The Mandela years Nelson Mandela's personal quest has seen him woo and win over a divided nation - doing more than any government policy to promote reconciliation, writes Carolyn Dempster.
Flashback: South Africa's new dawn From the archive: BBC Correspondent Fergal Keane's report on the defining moment of South Africa's landmark elections five years
ago.
The BBC's Southern Africa Correspondent Jeremy Vine: "The government will miss the Mandela magic"
Thabo Mbeki's inaugural address
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