5 Major Things You Didn’t Know About Winnie Madikizela-Mandela

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela celebrated a milestone birthday in September 2016, and it’s hard to believe that this timelessly beautiful woman has turned 80. She died on 2nd of April,2018 in Johannesburg South Africa. A divisive figure in South Africa, Madikizela-Mandela is revered for being the ‘mother of the nation, but she has also been caught up in many a controversy over the years. Mam’ Winnie is nevertheless a towering, prominent figure in the history of SA, whose important role during the long struggle to end apartheid should not be understated or forgotten. Thrust into the spotlight in the wake of Nelson Mandela’s life sentence, Madikizela-Mandela carried the heavy burden of continuing her husband’s legacy. And under the scrutinizing gaze of the ever-present public eye, both her victories and missteps were there for all to see. But there are some things about her that aren’t so well known 1. Her mother, Nomathamsanqa Mzaidume (Gertrude ), died when she was only nine years old. M

ama Winnie’s parents were both teachers. Her dad, Columbus, was a history teacher and headmaster, and her mother taught domestic science. Gertrude’s death resulted in the break-up of her family, as she and her eight siblings were afterwards all sent to live with different relatives. 2. She was head girl in high school Madizikela-Mandela was born Nomzamo in a village in Pondoland in the Eastern Cape. She attended primary school in Bizana and matriculated at Shawbury High School, where she distinguished herself as a person with exceptional leadership qualities. 3. She lost a job she really needed because of her activism as a member of the ANC. Winnie took a position at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto after she graduated from Jan Hofmeyer School of Social Work of Johannesburg, where she moved after high school. In doing so she became the first black medical social worker in the country. But she lost her job after she and thousands of other women were arrested in 1985, for demonstrating against the government’s pass laws. This was a significant financial setback, since she was the wage earner in the family. 4.Authorities outlawed traditional tribal dress she wore to Nelson Mandela’s treason trial. Madizikela-Mandela and other female companions of the men on trial appeared at the courthouse in traditional tribal dress, hoping to inspire people and evoke a sense of militancy against the oppressive white government. Authorities went on to outlaw the dress, but she retaliated by defiantly wearing the ANC’s gold, green, and black colours 5. All she had in her cell during a 17 month detention was a sanitary bucket, a plastic bottle with water for about three glasses of water, and a mug. Winnie spent most of this lengthy imprisonment in solitary confinement. She described this difficult time in her book, ‘Part of My Soul Went with Him’, where she wrote: “Those first few days are the worst in anyone’s life—that uncertainty, that insecurity. The whole thing is calculated to destroy you. You are not in touch with anybody