Solid as a rock, she epitomised defiance
THE presiding officers of Parliament, Baleka Mbete and Thandi Modise, have expressed shock and collective grief at the passing of the Struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
uMam’u Madikizela-Mandela, affectionately and widely known as the Mother of the Nation, passed on at the age of 81 at Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg yesterday after a long illness.
National Assembly Speaker Mbete and National Council of Provinces chairperson Modise said that as a Struggle icon in her own right during years of colonial and apartheid repression, Madikizela-Mandela carved her niche in the Struggle for freedom and in efforts to realise the new, free, non-sexist and democratic South Africa.
“She defied the repressive laws and associated patriarchy, and embodied a brave character of an unflinching woman in the wake of all odds against her throughout her life,” Mbete and Modise said.
“She was as solid as a rock, and a defender of the vulnerable and defenceless.
“Together with many of her contemporaries of her time, she was a torch-bearer to gender mainstreaming, and an inspiration to millions of the downtrodden women across the length and breadth of the country, across the continent and the world.
“She was one of her generation of Struggle stalwarts that survived to be founding members of the democratic Parliament of South Africa in 1994.
“As one of the pioneer members of Parliament and our parliamentary democracy, Ma-Winnie, as she was affectionately known, paved the way for what the Parliament of South Africa has since become.
“Her vibrancy, unending inner and outer beauty, her passionate connection with ordinary citizens, and her witty and critical mind contributed in keeping the critical solidarity of the women of South Africa in every facet of life.
“Mama Winnie has not died, she has just passed on the baton to us, both men and women, in Parliament, in government, and in the society at large, so that the ideals she lived and struggled for can be realised in our lifetime.
“The challenges of poverty, inequality from a gender and race perspective, underdevelopment and many societal ills facing South Africa faces today are problems she fought tirelessly to eradicate, as a contribution to building a truly socially just country where all people can enjoy a great quality of life.
“She will be greatly missed, and Parliament trusts that together we will cherish and celebrate her life.
“Today we have indeed lost a great leader, a champion of freedom and development, a people’s hero, a mother and a defender of the downtrodden.
“May her soul rest in peace.” – Parliament of the Republic of South Africa