Full Name
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born Nomzamo Winifred Madikizela)[3]
Date of Birth
September 26, 1936[3]
Date of Death
April 2, 2018[3]
Place of Birth
Bizana, Pondoland district, Transkei (now in Eastern Cape), South Africa[3]
Spouse’s Name
- Nelson Mandela (m. 1958, separated 1992)[1]
Children’s Names
- Not available
Known Affiliates Names
Affiliated Organizations’ Names
- African National Congress (ANC)[1]
Winnie Mandela
Early Life
Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela, known as Winnie Mandela, was born on September 26, 1936, in Bizana, Pondoland district, Transkei, now part of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. She was the fourth of eight children born to Columbus Kokani, a minister of the Forestry and Agriculture Department of the Transkei, and Nomathamsanqa Mzaidume (Gertrude), a science teacher. Winnie’s mother passed away in 1944, leaving a significant impact on her early life. Despite the loss, Winnie managed to complete her high school education and moved to Johannesburg in 1953 to pursue a career in social work. She attended the Jan Hofmeyr School of Social Work, where she excelled and became the first qualified black social worker at Johannesburg’s Baragwanath Hospital[9][14].
Activism
Winnie Mandela’s activism began in the 1950s when she met Nelson Mandela, a lawyer and anti-apartheid activist. They married in 1958. Throughout Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment (1962–1990), Winnie faced harassment by the South African government, including detention, house arrest, and internal exile. Despite these challenges, she remained a prominent anti-apartheid figure, involved in the African National Congress (ANC) and its Women’s League. Her activism was marked by her militant stance against apartheid, which sometimes led to controversy[5][14].
Marriage to Nelson Mandela
Winnie and Nelson Mandela’s marriage was both a partnership in the struggle against apartheid and a personal relationship that faced immense strain due to Nelson’s long imprisonment and the state’s persecution of Winnie. Their marriage endured through the apartheid era, but they separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996, after Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first black president[3][13].
Controversies
Winnie Mandela’s activism was not without controversy. In the 1980s, she was accused of being involved in violent activities, including the kidnapping and assault of Stompie Seipei, a young activist. Although she was convicted of kidnapping and assault, her sentence was reduced to a fine. These incidents, along with other allegations of violence, tarnished her reputation[4][5].
Later Years
In her later years, Winnie Mandela continued to be a significant figure in South African politics, serving as a member of Parliament and maintaining a presence in the ANC. Despite the controversies, she remained a beloved figure to many South Africans, celebrated for her role in the struggle against apartheid. Winnie Mandela passed away on April 2, 2018, after a long illness. Her legacy as a fighter against apartheid and a complex figure in South Africa’s history endures[5][20].
Winnie Mandela’s life was marked by her unwavering commitment to the fight against apartheid, her tumultuous marriage to Nelson Mandela, and the controversies that accompanied her activism. Despite the challenges and criticisms she faced, her contributions to South Africa’s liberation struggle have cemented her place as a key figure in the country’s history.
Citations: [1] https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/winnie-madikizela-mandela [2] https://www.swarthmore.edu/news-events/listen-winnie-madikizela-mandela-and-violence-and-intimacies-gender-south-african [3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/06/09/winnie-nelson-mandela-portrait-marriage-jonny-steinberg-review/ [4] https://www.ndtv.com/people/winnie-mandela-south-africas-flawed-heroine-1831884 [5] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Winnie-Madikizela-Mandela [6] https://womensmediacenter.com/fbomb/the-african-women-who-paved-the-way-for-activists-today [7] https://theconversation.com/winnie-and-nelson-new-book-paints-a-deeply-human-portrait-of-the-mandela-marriage-and-south-africas-struggle-205505 [8] https://news.sky.com/story/scandalous-yet-adored-the-winnie-mandela-i-knew-11314438 [9] https://southafrica.co.za/early-life-of-winnie-mandela.html [10] https://www.revolt.tv/article/2021-02-23/59129/winnie-mandela-led-south-africa-out-of-apartheid-and-shes-yet-to-receive-proper-credit [11] https://jonathanball.co.za/component/virtuemart/winnie-nelson-portrait-of-a-marriage [12] https://www.cswe.org/centers-initiatives/kendall-institute/international-social-work-leader-review/previously-featured-social-work-leaders/winnie-mandela/ [13] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/06/nelson-winnie-mandela-marriage [14] https://www.biography.com/activists/winnie-mandela [15] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057070.2019.1697137 [16] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/02/winnie-madikizela-mandela-obituary [17] https://www.britannica.com/question/To-whom-was-Nelson-Mandela-married [18] https://theconversation.com/winnie-madikizela-mandela-revolutionary-who-kept-the-spirit-of-resistance-alive-94300 [19] https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/mandela/husband/ [20] https://aaregistry.org/story/winnie-mandela-born/