Winnie Mandela: The Death Of An Icon
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela who is popularly known as “Winnie”, “the mother of the South- African nation” is dead. She died at age 81 years and was known to a woman who never left the South African women.
she was married to Nelson for 38 years — one of the most storied romances of modern history.
Most of their marriage was spent apart, with Nelson imprisoned for 27 years, leaving her to raise their two daughters alone and to keep alive his political dream under the repressive white-minority regime.
In 1990 the world watched when Nelson Mandela finally walked out of prison — hand in hand with Winnie.
She was known as a complete woman who stood during the South African Apartheid system.
“Mother of the Nation”
Mrs. Madikizela-Mandela was born in 1936 in the Eastern Cape – then known as Transkei.
She was a trained social worker when she met her future husband in the 1950s. They went on to have two daughters together.
They were married for a total of 38 years, although for almost three decades of that time they were separated due to Mr Mandela’s long imprisonment.
Energy Minister Jeff Radebe, reading out a statement on behalf of the family, paid tribute to “a colossus who strode the Southern African political landscape”.
“As the ANC we dip our revolutionary banner in salute of this great icon of our liberation struggle,” he said.
“The Mandela family are deeply grateful for the gift of her life and even as our hearts break at her passing we urge all those who loved her to celebrate this most remarkable South African woman.”
African National Congress (ANC) chairperson Gwede Mantashe said: “With the departure of Mama Winnie, [we have lost] one of the very few who are left of our stalwarts and icons. She was one of those who would tell us exactly what is wrong and right, and we are going to be missing that guidance.”
We at AfricanRubiz.org sympathize with the family as the world has missed a true icon and legend among the women. Do you think that any woman can indeed step into her shoes? We anticipate your comments.
