ANC Women’s League lays it on for Winnie

THE ANC Women’s League is organising a number of events, including a big cultural festivity, to celebrate Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s 80th birthday on Monday.

The Mother of the Nation – as MadikizelaMandela is known to many – was showered with praise for the role she played in the liberation struggle during a Women’s League media briefing in Johannesburg yesterday.

The League said the birthday celebrations represented all facets of MadikizelaMandela’s life.

This ranged from “politics, culture, unity and social cohesion to beauty and style”.

It said the programme would be “three-fold, over two consecutive days” and would guarantee that all South Africans got an opportunity to celebrate.

An official birthday message book would be available at the Mandela home in Soweto from tomorrow to September 27 for all who wanted to wish her well.

There will also be a carnival at Vilakazi Street from 11am to 6pm on Sunday.

A gala dinner in her honour will be held at Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park on Monday.