Winnie Mandela Dies at 81: South Africa's 'Mother of the Nation' Passes Away
One of the most popular faces in the country, Winnie Mandela came to prominence during the country’s anti-apartheid struggle.
Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela, the former wife of Nelson Mandela, died in the early hours on April 02, 2018. Popularly known as Winnie Mandela, she was a South African politician and an anti-apartheid activist. Mandela was a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and headed its Women League.
The death of Winnie Mandela was confirmed by her personal assistant Zodwa Zwane. Her family is due to issue a statement later in the day. However, the cause of the death was reportedly said to be ‘long illness’, as per her family.
Winnie Mandela was born on September 26, 1936, in the village of Embongweni, in Pondoland (now known as Eastern Cape Province), in South Africa.
Born to an Xhosa family in South Africa, Winnie Mandela studied social work in her childhood. She married to the former South African President Nelson Mandela in the year 1958. The couple separated after 38 years of their marriage.
One of the most popular faces in the country, Winnie Mandela came to prominence during the country’s anti-apartheid struggle. She had been Nelson Mandela’s public face during his time in the prison for 27 years.
Winnie Mandela was also the first lady of South Africa from the year 1994 to 1996, till her divorce with Nelson Mandela. One of the controversial figures during her prime, Winnie was fondly called as ‘Mother of the Nation’ by her supporters.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 02, 2018 08:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).