Without Winnie, there would be no Nelson Mandela

Whatever they do to me they do to the people of this country. Mama Madikizela-Mandela became an worldwide symbol of resistance as she inspired liberation movements in Southern Africa and beyond. In 1993, she was elected president of the ANC’s Women’s League.

She wasn’t bigger or smaller than I thought, she simply occupied the space with her presence. There is a good chance the apartheid security forces used her willfulness and anger to try to split the resistance movement, yet even the most active supporter can not but acknowledge her active contribution in this process. Her conviction for theft was later reversed since she had not recognized any personal gain from her actions.

She wrote, “We were hardly a year together when history deprived me of you”.

Our first meeting was in the night and the circumstances were somewhat chaotic.

“I heard [Nelson] Mandela went to prison and she kept on fighting for us to be free”, said Khoza.

She did not enter the house but stayed with the gathering crowd under the trees in the garden. She engaged with the vulnerable and the marginalised with compassion, beauty and style.

Then they came and forcefully dumped her and and the young Zinzi in Brandfort where she was banished to for 10 years.

Since this was October 1989, it meant nearly all the defining incidents of Mrs Mandela’s life had already taken place.

“We were prepared to go jail, we were prepared to fight an unjust system.we were never gonna carry those heavy passes.Nomzamo has done her part”, she told mourners.

My heart broke when I read account after account of a mother who did her best to provide for her family and community while never giving the apartheid government the satisfaction of seeing her many tears.

I am not here to minimise or glossover any of Ma Winnie’s shortcomings which like many of us she had a few.

“But there would not have been a Nelson Mandela without Winnie Mandela“.

Upon her death, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa paid public tribute to her sacrifice and leadership: “For many years, she bore the brunt of the senseless brutality of the apartheid state with stoicism and fortitude”.

He looked very distressed and pleaded not to be asked any questions after making his statement.

“I was sitting on the mattress with Zenani (Mandela) who had invited me in, as not many people had arrived yet”.

“I had to find a nanny for the day for my baby”. In a video clip, South African comedian Trevor Noah said, “South Africa is a matriarchal society and the women are unsafe”.

Addressing the chiefs and archbishops who had criticised her‚ Bambatha said: “We are hurt and we will not tolerate your defamatory messages or disrespect”.

Winnie persevered in pain, was magnanimous throughout her suffering and incomparably gracious in rejection.

“The years of imprisonment hardened me.Perhaps if you have been given a moment to hold back and wait for the next blow, your emotions would be blunted as they have been in my case”.

A kaleidoscope of political parties’ colours, from the EFF, the PAC, the ANC and Azapo, peppered the half-filled stadium, proving that although she spent her life as a member of the ANC, Mam’ Winnie truly belonged to all in SA.

The birthday celebration was a gesture of unity, and it was there that Mama Winnie committed herself to accompanying Ramaphosa to Marikana to meet with the widows of the killed miners.She was undoubtedly a peace broker.