‘Brave Winnie like Jesus’
Celebrates death of ‘brave’ MadikizelaMandela, calling on residents to vote ANC. ‘HASN’T DONE ENOUGH, BUT LEARNS FROM MISTAKES’
ANC Women’s League president Sisisi Tolashe, third from left, lays a wreath outside ‘brave Mama Winnie’s’ Orlando West home in Soweto yesterday. Surrounding her are Khusela Diko, to her right, Angie Motshekga and Nomvula Mokonyane, who likened Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to Jesus. The ANC stalwart died six years ago at the age of 81.
Late struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was only acknowledged by her worst enemies after her death, said ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane.
Madikizela-Mandela, who died on 2 April 2018, was remembered by the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Fourways Memorial Park yesterday.
Mokonyane praised Madikizela-Mandela for her loyalty to the ANC despite her struggles. She said the stalwart died an ANC member despite the many opportunities for her to leave the party.
“Today, we are just a few days after we have celebrated and have gone through the passion of Christ. In our own country, if you want to contextualise the passion of Christ and identify somebody who had gone through the station of the cross and only at a time when she was laid to rest here, even her worst enemies laid claim on her, acknowledged and celebrated her,” she said.
“Just as we saw with what happened with Jesus Christ on that cross on that fateful day, with the two criminals who were flanking him, we know that it was only when amazulu edabuka [heavens opened] that he was the son of God.
“We’re coming here to gain strength and recommit. We are from the Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela organisation that has gone through trials themselves – the ANC. We have seen it all and we’re yet to see more.”
Speaking yesterday outside Madikizela-Mandela’s house in Orlando West, Soweto, where members gathered to celebrate her death, ANCWL president Sisisi Tolashe said the league’s machinery was now oiled. “We are on the ground here in Gauteng on a daily basis,” she said.
“The members are going doorto-door extensively to listen to our people, hear their problems, resolve them immediately, give hope and make them to understand that the ANC still is there for them. We have our manifesto.
We’ll do exactly what we said we’re going to do. We’re going to be even more agile than we were the past 30 years. We’ve done a lot for South Africans.”
Tolashe said the ANCWL was aware it had not done enough but was committed to resolving a lot of the mistakes. “We were already on some of them in making sure that they are resolved. We are very present – in high numbers actually – in all nine provinces,” she said.
“We have even agreed that we should launch the Winnie Mandela volunteers because we want our people to be stronger, firmer and to have spirit.”
ANCWL members, family and friends of Madikizela-Mandela were seen in numbers, draped in ANC colours, as well as in Madikizela-Mandela T-shirts.
“We came to also call upon her spirit to be with us, especially going into the 2024 elections.
However, a community member who requested anonymity, said the ANCWL has not said anything to them as residents, nor paid them a visit. The resident lives less than 100m from Madikizela-Mandela’s house.
“We’ve been in our houses and heard loud music and cheering, and then we saw that an event is happening,” she said.
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