Fighter. Liberator. Ungovernable Woman. Mother Of A Nation. And A Wife Too.
The news that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela had died on Monday at 81 years old brought South Africa to a standstill almost as dramatic as that which greeted the death of her husband, Nelson Mandela, five years ago.
In an outpouring of memory and grief, she was hailed as a co-liberator of South Africa and the mother of the nation, as he was the father of the nation.
At her home in Soweto, crowds gathered as quickly and spontaneously as they had gathered outside Nelson Mandela’s Johannesburg home when he died.
Madikizela-Mandela dies with Qunu land ownership not fully settled
Lauded as one of the fiercest icons in the struggle against apartheid, the one battle Winnie Madikizela-Mandela could not see through to its end was reclaiming the land upon which the Qunu homestead of her former husband, Nelson Mandela, was built.
Madikizela-Mandela, who died after a prolonged illness on Monday, had been locked in a fierce legal battle to claim ownership of the land, which she claimed was allocated to her in 1989.
The land was donated to former president Mandela in November 1997, but in 2014, Madikizela-Mandela claimed she had only just discovered the property had been registered to her ex-husband.
Kathrada Foundation extends condolences to Madikizela-Mandela's family
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has extended its condolences to the family, friends and comrades of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who passed away at the age of 81 on Monday.
Madikizela-Mandela, an anti-apartheid struggle hero and former wife of late president Nelson Mandela, dedicated her life to fighting societal injustices.
"It is with sadness that we received the news of Comrade Winnie's passing after a period of illness that saw her in and out of hospital," said the foundation’s executive director, Neeshan Balton.
"We wish her family and friends strength during this trying time and trust that they will bear this difficult period with courage."
'Winnie never elevated herself above the people' - Thabo Mbeki Foundation
The Thabo Mbeki Foundation has praised Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s contribution to the apartheid liberation struggle, following her passing on Monday at the age of 81.
Foundation’s spokesperson Thami Ntenteni said that it was tragic to hear that an "icon of this stature has fallen".
"A characteristic of the struggle veterans is that they never elevated themselves above the people. They gave their lives to the struggle – even after 1994 – without expectation," said Ntenteni.
Mam' Winnie was a voice for the voiceless - Ramaphosa
South Africa has lost a mother, a leader and an icon, President Cyril Ramaphosa told the nation during his official announcement of the death of struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela on Monday night.
"She was a voice for the voiceless," said Ramaphosa.
The announcement followed an earlier confirmation of her death by the Mandela family.
The family confirmed that the 81-year-old had died peacefully at the Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.
'Winnie showed that you don't need a gun or be a man to liberate SA'
The family of struggle hero Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was in shock on Monday afternoon after she passed away unexpectedly at Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.
She was 81.
Madikizela Mandela’s step-granddaughter, Ndileka Mandela, told City Press that she was admitted to the hospital on Sunday night.
At a press conference late Monday afternoon, Methodist Church Minister Gary Rivas said Madikizela-Mandela was at church on Friday in Soweto, and again at church on Sunday, celebrating Easter.
'SA poorer without her' - SACP reacts to Madikizela-Mandela's death
The South African Communist Party (SACP) says it is deeply worried "that the South African revolution is losing the veterans who contributed immensely to our struggle against colonial oppression".
The party was reacting the news that Madikizela-Mandela had died on Monday after a long illness, at the age of 81.
In a statement, the SACP hailed Madikizela-Mandela as a stalwart of the struggle for liberation, a resolute gender transformation activist and national democratic revolutionary.
"Her departure from the world of the living has left South Africa poorer without her," the SACP said.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in dates
Key dates in the life of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, who died on Monday at the age of 81:
- 1936: Born on September 26 as Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela in the Eastern Cape province.
- 1955: Becomes the country's first black social worker in a hospital in Johannesburg's Soweto township.
- 1958: Marries Nelson Mandela, a lawyer and leading member of the anti-apartheid ANC.
BREAKING: Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has died
Struggle veteran Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has died at the age of 81, her family confirmed in a statement on Monday.
"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 the 2nd of April 2018," the statement said.
"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."
Madikizela-Mandela was one of the greatest icons of the struggle against apartheid, the statement reads.