Where are we, postWinnie?

WINNIE Madikizela-mandela’s death not only prompted an outpouring of grief this week but provided an opportunity to look into ourselves as South Africans.

For far too long, notwithstanding the efforts of the Fallists in their bid to decolonise education and make it accessible to all, we have taken the miracle of April 27, 1994, far too lightly.

South Africa escaped a near-certain bloodbath, thanks to the Herculean efforts of men like Nelson Mandela, who silenced the doomsayers.

Madiba followed this course at great personal expense. One of the greatest obstacles to his efforts to reconcile a society fractured by hatred and fear and create a rainbow nation was his erstwhile wife, Winnie Madikizela-mandela.

While the leadership of the 1950s’ liberation movement had either been in jail on Robben Island or in exile, she had been at the forefront of the struggle. In many ways she personified the movement at home as the people resisted a repressive regime.

Madikizela-mandela was the one who would speak out and fight back. She was to pay a hefty price for her courage: detained in appalling circumstances, kept in solitary confinement for 491 days without trial and banished to Brandfort for almost a decade.

She famously said she was the product of both her people and her oppressors. Exposed to the worst of human nature, she learnt to hate. Her passion could not be controlled. Left on her own for so long, she became her greatest hero and own worst enemy.

Much has been said this week about her failings – which were many. But we must not forget she was the target of a sustained and sophisticated campaign of vilification and character assassination by the state.

For too long, the mother of the nation never received the respect she deserved from the country.

Her Brandfort house has still not been refurbished. Yet the Free State premier could see fit to sign off on two multimillion-rand projects within weeks, both now irredeemably tied to state capture. That speaks volumes about the state of affairs before her death.

She must never be forgotten – for better or worse. She gave the country hope when there was none.

The key question we should be asking ourselves as we prepare to bid her farewell is what did the country did for her when she needed us most.