When Nelson Mandela was 80 and preparing to retire in a month — leaving his deputy president, Thabo Mbeki, in charge — a TIME Europe cover story outlined all of the challenges the new leader would face, while acknowledging, “Mandela leaves Mbeki a valuable legacy: political peace.”
Nelson Mandela TIME Covers Throughout the Years
A glimpse at the anti-apartheid icon's impact through six magazine covers.
From Mandela to Mbeki
May 24, 1999