Former wife of Nelson Mandela, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, died Monday after long illness at a Johannesburg hospital at age 81. Her personal assistant said in a press statement she succumbed peacefull surrounded by family and loved ones.
The South African anti-apartheid campaigner was married to Nelson Mandela for 38 years, from 1958 to 1996.
In 1957 Nelson Mandela, then married to his first wife Evelyn Ntoko Mase and father of three, met her at a bus stop when she was just 22.
Their married live was mostly spent separately as Nelson Mandela was arrested by the end of 1958 and sentenced to life prison in 1964.
She was born as Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela on 26 September 1936 to a Xhosa family in Bizana and studied social work at the Jan Hofmeyr School. She was fourth of eight children. Her first job was at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto as a social worker.
She was separated from Nelson in 1992 whilst being First Lady and their divorce was finalized in 1996.
In 1998, Mandela marked his 80th birthday by marrying his sweetheart, the former first lady of Mozambique, Graca Michel. It was a lavish celebratory bash; the guest list including international celebrities and dignitaries like actor Robert de Niro, ex US President Bill Clinton and church leader and activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu among others. This time around Madiba and Graca have decided that the celebrations will be more tight-knit and family-oriented.
During his tenure as President, Mandela formed the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, which has raised millions in aid for disadvantaged children in Africa, primarily those affected by the ravages of the H.I.V. virus and AIDS.