During Mandela's early life in Cape Town, he was a lawyer by day and an amateur boxer after work. Despite his busy schedule, he managed to keep the reading habit. He read The Art of War thoroughly and was especially inspired by the words "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not to fear the result of a hundred battles".

Recalling Sun Zi, Mandela once noted, "I was confident that the enemy itself wanted a retreat, through a silver bridge". This point of view was revealed in his speech "I am Prepared to Die" at the 1964 Rivonia Trial. Mandela stressed that harmonizing different races and classes was the main goal of the revolution.

Sun Zi believed that a good leader should be wise, reliable, firm, humane and brave. Mandela, as viewed by his people, lived up to these requirements.

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