Leader of our nation

IT IS with a profound sense of loss and deep sadness that we have learnt of the passing of Struggle stalwart, lifelong activist and advocate against apartheid maWinnie Madikizela-Mandela.

The foundation extends its deepest condolences to the Madikizela-Mandela family, friends and colleagues of maWinnie.

Her immense contributions to the liberation Struggle, including her years of activism in the black townships during the darkest days of apartheid, are well documented and need no further telling.

As part of the broader collective of anti-apartheid activists struggling to bring about a just, equal and democratic society, she served her communities, particularly black people, with supreme dignity and suffered greatly as a result of her unflinching dedication to the liberation Struggle.

maWinnie Madikizela-Mandela was not only admired and loved by ordinary people in South Africa, but her activism and contributions were also largely recognised throughout the international community, particularly in the African diaspora.

She played a critical role and had a significant impact in shaping the international community’s perceptions about the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa at a time when most leaders of the anti-apartheid movement were jailed into irrelevance.

As a seasoned activist and revolutionary icon in her own right, maWinnie advocated and agitated with fierce determination against the ruthless dehumanisation of black people which characterised human relations under the apartheid system.

“Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela epitomises the collective struggles of black people in South Africa. Her title of ‘Mother of the Nation’ speaks to her insurmountable commitment to the youth and peoples of South Africa, as well as her fierce activism and struggle against racial discrimination,” said Nkosinathi Biko, executive trustee at the Steve Biko Foundation.

“While saddened by her passing, we celebrate her dynamism and vibrancy and will remember her as one of the greatest leaders of our nation, a champion of our young democracy,”