South Africa is mourning the death of staunch advocate for civil rights Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. The 81-year-old anti-apartheid leader was the former wife of the legendary world icon Nelson Mandela.
R.I.P. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
Madikizela-Mandela passed away in a Johannesburg hospital, according to Washington Post. Several media outlets in South Africa believe that her death could be related to an illness that got her hospitalized earlier this year.
Madikizela-Mandela was married to the nation's first President for 38 years. She leaves behind two daughters. Mandela preceded her death in 2013.
Her Humble Beginnings
Madikizela-Mandela was born on Sept. 26, 1936, in a rural village in South Africa. In 1953, she traveled to Johannesburg for college at the Jan Hofmeyr School of Social Work.
Mrs. Madikizela-Mandela experienced the most significant challenge that her home country had ever faced. The problem was called apartheid and its polarizing policies divided the nation into two classes. People of African descent were tortured for the color of their skin while Caucasians were able to pursue the life they wanted.
Things changed for Madikizela-Mandela when she met her husband in the 1950s. When the two met at the time, Mandela was the leader of the African National Congress. The organization's mission was to end the suffering that apartheid brought to South Africa by uniting the nation.
Despite her father's concern with Mandela's increasingly political profile and their 16-year age gap, the duo was married in June 1958.
Imprisonment And Gangs
When Mr. Mandela was locked up at Rodden Island near Cape Town for 27 years, Madikizela-Mandela became an outstanding leader to the African National Congress. However, she became a massive target for her husband's opponents. In 1969, she was imprisoned for 18 months and spent most of that time in confinement and unsatisfactory conditions.
Madikizela-Mandela's worldwide presence grew, thanks to the attempts of the organization to educate the world through journalists. In 1985, she journeyed to Soweto with hopes to end the brutality in the Johannesburg neighborhood.
However, many members of the African National Congress were unhappy to learn about Madikizela-Mandela's creation of the Mandela United Football Club. Rumors suggested that Mandela's first wife used it as her gang to settle old scores.
Her Final Chapter
When Mandela returned from imprisonment in 1990, his relationship with his wife began to deteriorate and they separated in 1992. He decided to sue her in 1996 successfully and stated that her demeanor around him changed.
Despite Mandela's departure and several human rights violations that were filed against her in 1998, the next generation of leaders continued to embrace her despite her checkered past.
Other Celebrity Deaths Of 2018
Madikizela-Mandela was not the only high-profile celebrity death of 2018. The 92-year-old Tower Records founder Russ Solomon passed away on Sunday, March 4. The music mogul built an iconic record store, with legendary musicians Sir Elton John and Bruce Springsteen as celebrity customers.
Celebrated actress Nanette Fabray passed away on Thursday, Feb. 22 due to natural causes at the age of 97. Country singer Daryle Singletary died on Monday, Feb. 12. He was 46 years old.
