THE death of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela came as a shock to South Africans. At 81 she looked as radiant as ever, her taut skin and chic outfits belying her age. She still had the will to fight, taking the estate of her late ex-husband, Nelson Mandela, to court (she lost an appeal in January). Just last month she appeared at a voter-registration campaign for the ruling African National Congress (ANC), grinning alongside Cyril Ramaphosa, the president. But, unbeknown to many, she had long been ill. Ms Madikizela-Mandela died on April 2nd in Johannesburg. Outside her home in Soweto, mourners sang old struggle songs into the night. She will receive a state funeral on April 14th.
Ms Madikizela-Mandela was one of a shrinking number of heroes from South Africa’s struggle to end repressive white rule. She came from what is now Eastern Cape and, against the odds, became a social worker at a Soweto hospital. During that time she met Mr Mandela, whom she married in 1958. But they would spend only a...Continue reading
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