Thousands of mourners salute freedom fighter at funeral
Millions of South Africans came together to say goodbye to anti-aparth e i d activist Winnie Ma d i k i z e l a - M a n d e l a yesterday.
In an emotionally charged funeral service that began in her home of Soweto, thousands of mourners packed the 40,000- seat Orlando Stadium to bid farewell to a national hero, who died on April 2 at the age of 81.
Often called the “Mother of the Nation” and “Mama Winnie”, Ms MadikizelaMandela fought to keep South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle in the international spotlight while her then-husband, Nelson Mandela, was imprisoned.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described Ms Madikizela-mandela as a symbol of resistance.
He said: “Proud, defiant, articulate, she exposed the lie of apartheid. Loudly and without apology, she spoke truth to power.”
Civil rights leader Jesse Ja c k s o n said that Ms Madikizela- Mandela was responsible for making the anti- apartheid movement “a global struggle”.
He s a i d: “Sh e never stopped fighting. She never stopped serving. She never left the belly of the beast.”
With many remembering Ms Madikizela-mandela as a political force in her own right, UN Secretary- General Antonio Guterres called her an “international symbol of resistance” whose extraordinary life had impacted on millions.
He said: “In apartheid South Africa, the combination of patriarchy and racism together meant that black women confronted enormous obstacles from the cradle to the grave – making her own achievements all the more exceptional.”
Supermodel Naomi Campbell, who first met Ms Madikizela- Mandela in New York in 1990, said: “She was the epitome of courage.”