South African anti-apartheid struggle hero Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, Zoleka Mandela died on the same day that her grandmother Winnie Mandela died.
The sad coincidence reminds us of the struggles that both women went through despite the differences in timelines.
Read Also; Breaking: Zoleka Mandela Dies
Zoleka Mandela, an author was admitted to hospital on Monday and unfortunately succumbed to cancer after a long battle with the disease.
The 43-year-old was the child of Mandela’s youngest daughter, Zindzi Mandela, and her first husband, Zwelibanzi Hlongwane.
The family said recent scans revealed “significant” progress in the cancer that affected her hip, liver, lung, pelvis, brain and spinal cord.
NELSON MANDELA FOUNDATION MOURNS ZOLEKA
“We mourn the loss of a beloved grandchild of Mum Winnie and Madiba,” the Nelson Mandela Foundation wrote on social media, using the name by which the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was fondly known.
“Her work in raising awareness about cancer prevention and her unwavering commitment to breaking down the stigma surrounding the disease will continue to inspire us all.”
Winnie Mandela’s birth and death dates
Public domain image
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela, was born on 26 September 1936 and died on 2 April 2018 was a South African anti-apartheid activist and Politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela.
Born in the village of Mbongweni in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province in 1936, Mandela travelled throughout South Africa during her youth and managed to attend school despite strict apartheid measures.
She earned a degree in social work from the Jan Hofmeyer School in Johannesburg, and despite the opportunity to continue her studies in America, accepted a position as a social worker at the Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, where she was the first qualified black medical social worker.
She eventually studied at the University of Witwatersrand and earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations.
Zoleka With Winnie Mandela
Today marks Winnie Mandela‘s 87th birthday, and we look at five memorable times when Zoleka gushed over her grandmother on social media.
‘She always wanted me to grow my hair,’ – Zoleka
“My day one,” as she usually referred to her, Zoleka posted a throwback picture of her late grandmother and political stalwart Winnie Mandela plaiting her hair a few weeks ago.
A wig gift after chemotherapy
In December last year, the author and activist reposted a Facebook memory of her wearing a wig her grandmother gave her after her hair fell off from chemotherapy.
She said it was 10 months before she captured the picture. Zoleka was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time in March 2012.
She added: “Queenly reminder, Family support is more important than any treatment for a life-threatening disease like Breast Cancer.”
