admin
April 2, 2018 came and Winifred “Winnie” Madikizela-Mandela took a final bow and left the building.
The woman, who alongside her late former husband, Nelson Mandela, became synonymous with the fight against apartheid died at the age of 81.
There is no telling the tale of the emancipation of South Africa from the clutches of white supremacists without a description of how Winnie was a thorn in the flesh of the oppressors. If ever you are in need of an example to prove the cliché that behind every successful incarcerated man, there is a woman, Winnie is it.
Lovingly called the “Mother of the Nation”, Winnie held several government positions, including as Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology. She was a member of the African National Congress (ANC) political party, served on its National Executive Committee and headed its Women’s League.
She was an amazon. A kingwoman. A political activist. A liberator. A fighter for women rights before it became mainstream.
For speaking out for what she stood for, Winnie was incarcerated. Upon the arrest of her Nelson in 1963, she, it was, who became his public face and carried his torch. During that period, she rose to prominence within the domestic anti-apartheid movement. She was arrested and detained by state security services on various occasions and spent several months in solitary confinement.
Also Read: Winnie Mandela Awarded Honorary Doctorate Degree
Though she made some mistakes along the way and lost a bit of the popularity she had, Winnie would always be remembered for her resilience, eloquence, never-say-die attitude. She stayed true to her tribal name “Nomzano” which is Xhosa for “she who tries”.
We Celebrate Winnie Mandela For The Great Impact She Had Before Her Exit
