THE granddaughter of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Zoleka Mandela has died.
The mother of six died on Monday, 25 September due to her struggle with terminal cancer. The cancer had returned for the third time in August 2022. She was diagnosed with metastatic cancer after having beat breast cancer twice in the previous years.
Her family confirmed the news of her passing on Tuesday, 26 September.
In the statement, they revealed that she was admitted to hospital on Monday, 18 September. This is a few days after she was diagnosed with fibrosis in the lungs.
“On Monday, September 18th, Zoleka Mandela was admitted into hospital for ongoing treatment for metastatic cancer to the hip, liver, lung, pelvis, brain and spinal cord. Recent scans revealed significant disease progression including fibrosis in the lungs as well as several emboli.
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“Zoleka passed away on the evening of Monday, September 25th, surrounded by friends and family. Our sincerest gratitude to the medical team that took care of her,” it read.
Zoleka Mandela had been open about her journey with cancer and shared about her treatment and experience with it on social media.
She had already started planning for her funeral. During an interview with eNCA in May, she said she’s getting all her things in order.
“But I’m capturing stories in my own way. I’ve got plans for my kids, I’ve got plans for my funeral, I’ve got plans about what’s going to happen to me in the days leading to my passing and what happens after. And what kind of legacy I would want for my children,” she said.
She had also just welcomed her sixth baby in December 2021.
