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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Thousands of South Africans gather for Winnie Mandela memorial

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Johannesburg: Thousands of mourners gathered at a football stadium in Johannesburg’s Soweto township on Wednesday to bid farewell to late anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.


Madikizela-Mandela — a stalwart of South Africa’s liberation struggle and the ex-wife of its first democratic president, Nelson Mandela — died last week aged 81. A state funeral is planned for Saturday.


The stadium was a sea of black, green and yellow — the colours of the African National Congress (ANC) party to which Madikizela-Mandela devoted her life. Many of the women also wore traditional, brightly coloured headscarves, known as “doeks,” to honour Madikizela-Mandela — who had made them her signature style.


The Soweto Gospel Choir sung South Africa’s national anthem, and many members of the audience — — some of whom had travelled long distances in buses to attend the event — sung, ululated and danced.


Madikizela-Mandela’s daughters, Zenani and Zindzi, were in attendance, as was Graca Machel, who was married to Mandela after he and Winnie divorced in 1996 — a few years after his release from 27 years in prison.


The freedom fighter and feminist icon — who was married to Mandela for decades, though they were separated for most of that time — suffered greatly under the brutal apartheid system, but, despite being beaten, imprisoned and constantly hounded by police, she was never cowed.


Deputy President David Mabuza was among those scheduled to speak at the event, after President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke at a separate memorial in Madikizela-Mandela’s hometown in the eastern Cape earlier this week.


Many of Madikizela-Mandela’s grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren, paid tribute to their famous relative in speeches at Wednesday’s memorial.


Madikizela-Mandela had a huge grass-roots following, especially among the poor, for whom she was a tireless advocate.


However, she was also a controversial figure to some South Africans for how far she was prepared to go in the struggle for liberation.


— dpa


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