On April 2nd, 2018 we lost a beautiful soul and a political activist: Winnie Mandela.
Here are some things you should know about her!
1. Winnie Mandela, born as Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela, was a South African activist who married Nelson Mandela in 1958 and later divorced in 1996.
2. She was held and detained for 18 months due to being suspected of terrorism. In 1969, as Nelson Mandela was serving time in prison, Mrs. Mandela was arrested under Suppression of Terrorism Act and spent her sentence in solitary confinement where she was tortured.
3. Following the Soweto 1976 uprisings, she was forced by the government to relocate to the border town of Brandfort and placed under house arrest.
4. Winnie Mandela fought against Apartheid, and sexism in her time. She was elected as the President of African National Congress Women’s League on December 8th ,1993.
5. Winnie Mandela appeared before the nation’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1997 and was found responsible for “gross violations of human rights” in connection with the killings and tortures implemented by her bodyguards.
6. In 2003, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was convicted on 43 counts of fraud and 25 counts of theft.
7. Following extended hospital visits to treat a kidney infection, Winnie Mandela passed away on April 2, 2018, in Johannesburg.
As we mourn the death of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, we must acknowledge all the changes she has fought or in South Africa and the ripple effect that it has caused over the world! The late activist died at the age of 81. According to her long-term assistant, Mrs. Mandela passed due to a long-term illness.
May public figures and celebrities share their condolences for the death of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
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