The highs and lows
1936 – Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela is born, the fifth of nine children, in the village of Mbongweni, Bizana, Transkei.
1955 – She completes her degree in social work, graduating at the top of her class and takes up the position of medical social worker at the Baragwanath Hospital.
1958 – She marries Nelson Mandela.
August 5, 1961 Nelson is arrested, leaving Winnie to carry on the fight to keep his name alive, and in the public consciousness.
December 28, 1962 – banned to Johannesburg magisterial district.
1965 – Winnie is banned to Orlando West, Johannesburg.
May 12, 1969 – Winnie spends 17 months in prison, with 13 of those in solitary confinement, under Prime Minister John Vorster’s 1967 Terrorism Act.
May 1973 – Serves six months at Kroonstad Prison for breaking a banning order.
May 15, 1977 – Winnie is banned to Brandfort, Free State, for eight years.
February 2, 1990 – President FW de Klerk unbans the ANC, together with 31 other organisations.
1997 – Winnie admits during the Truth and Reconciliation hearings to Archbishop Desmond Tutu “things went horribly wrong” and apologised to the families of Stompie Seipei and Dr Abu-Baker Asvat.
June 2000 – Travels to Zimbabwe to express solidarity with the “war veterans” taking over white farms.
July 2000 – Joins the chorus of voices demanding free anti-retrovirals for sufferers of HIV.
September 15, 2016 - Winnie celebrates her 80th birthday at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town. – Compiled from sahistory.org.za