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President in 1994. >> so help me god. [ cheers and applause ] >> what marks mandela's career as president more -- almost more than anything else is that after five years he stepped down. there have been very few presidents in africa who have ever given up willingly. >> don't call me. [ laughter ] >> i'll call you. [ laughter ] >> reporter: his retirement years were busy with fundraising for charities close to his heart. he celebrated his 90th birthday with much fanfare. and told cnn in a rare interview that looking back, he wouldn't do anything differently. >> i don't regret it. because the th...

Me to stand before you today. >> reporter: and his lack of bitterness towards the apartheid authorities helped to him lead one of the most remarkable political tran sicks of the 20th century. mandela, the trained lawyer and life long rebel outmaneuvered the apartheid leaders and he steered south africa's peaceful tr transition to democracy. emet with the leader f.w. de klerk. >> the one thing of the republic and all his people. >> reporter: then he became south africa's first black president in 1994. >> so help me god. >> what marks mandela's career as president more almost more than anything ...

Authorities helped him to lead one of the most remarkable political transitions of the 20th century. mandela, the trained lawyer and life-long rebel out-maneuvered the apartheid leaders, and he steered south africa's peaceful transition to democracy. he won a nobel peace prize together with his former enemy, the apartheid leader, f.w. de clerk. >> i devote myself to the well-being of the republic and all its people. >> reporter: then he became south africa's first black president in 1994. >> so help me god. >> what marks mandela's career as president more than anything else is after five years...