Tributes continue to pour in honor of Winnie Mandela

Desmond Tutu has joined the country and the world in mourning Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

He described Winnie as having been the defining symbol of the struggle against apartheid, for many years.

“She refused to be bowed by the imprisonment of her husband‚ the perpetual harassment of her family by security forces‚ detentions‚ bannings and banishment. Her courageous defiance was deeply inspirational to me‚ and to generations of activists.

“Leah and I send our heartfelt condolences to her daughters‚ grandchildren and extended family. May she rest in peace and rise in glory‚” Tutu said in a statement.

President Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa too took time to address the nation. He praised the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela for her determination and courage during the toughest times of apartheid.
“For many years‚ she bore the blunt of the senseless brutality of the apartheid state with stoicism and fortitude. Despite the hardship she faced‚ she never doubted that the struggle for freedom and democracy would triumph and succeed. She remained throughout her life a tireless advocate for the dispossessed and the marginalised. She was the voice for the voiceless.”

Winnie died on Monday afternoon at the age of 81. She had a kidney ailment at the time of her death.

Family statement

Mandela family spokesman‚ Victor Dlamini‚ said: “It is with profound sadness that we inform the public that Mrs Winnie Madikizela-Mandela passed away at the Netcare Milpark Hospital‚ Johannesburg‚ South Africa on Monday April 2‚ 2018. She died after a long illness‚ for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year. She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones.”