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Winnie Mandela, a South African anti-apartheid campaigner and former wife of South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela has died at the age of 81 years old. Mandela had been suffering from an infection and was in and out of the nearby Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Winnie was pictured hand-in-hand with Nelson Mandela when he walked free from prison after 27 years.
Mandela, born on September 26, 1936, was a member of the African National Congress party and served on the ANC’s National Executive Committee and headed its Women’s League.
Winnie and Melson got married in 1958 and had two daughters, Ezinhle (born in 1959) and Zindzi (born in 1960). She was married to Nelson Mandela for 38 years, including the 27 years during which he was imprisoned. While their divorce was finalized on March 19,, 1996, Winnie continued to be a presence in Mandela’s life despite his remarriage in 1998.
In 1991‚ Winnie Mandela was convicted of kidnapping and being an accessory to assault of Stompie Seipei. Seipei was young activist who was killed by a member of Mandela’s bodyguards‚ the Mandela United Football Club. While originally sentenced to six years in jail, her sentence was reduced to a fine and a two-year suspended sentence on appeal.
Winnie Mandela passed away on April 2, 2018. She was South Africa’s first black First Lady.