Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the ex-wife of noted African figure Nelson Mandela, died on April 2ndat the age of 81. She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones. She has been fighting the illness for over a year, coming in and out of the Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg. Now the nation and the world as a whole mourns our freedom fighter.
Also known solely as Winnie Mandela, the 8thfirst lady of South Africa has left quite a mark on South Africa. Born in Eastern Cape in 1936, she eventually moved to Johannesburg in 1963 to pursue studying social work. This is where she met her active anti-apartheid lawyer and activist husband Nelson Mandela, who became South Africa’s first black president, and they were married in 1958 with two kids.
They were married for 38 years, when they separated in 1992, 27 years of which Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. During these years, Madikizela-Mandela did not cease to be the face of the Anti-apartheid movement and had a significant role in fighting white minority role.
Known as the “mother of the nation,” and also the “voice of defiance,” by President Cyril Ramaphosa, she also was imprisoned for her own activism against apartheid. Her regime led to her being imprisoned for months and years under house arrest and banished to another city, Brandfort.
She held several roles in government positions, including deputy minister of arts, culture, science, and technology, and headed the woman’s league in ANC (African National Congress). Even after Mandela’s release, and their divorce, Madikizela-Mandela, as a senior ANC figure, took part in the post-apartheid ANC government.
The sad loss of one of the most important female figures in Africa, many mourn her and remember her and all that she is accomplished. We have really lost someone with great wisdom and guidance, but her story will continue to allow for the encouragement of movements everywhere.
