Former President Thabo Mbeki says those who fought alongside the late struggle icon, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, during the apartheid era should provide guidance for the youth on tackling current issues. The 81-year-old died in Milpark Hospital Johannesburg on Monday.
The Mother of the Nation, as she was called, was known for her social work and providing guidance to the younger generation.
Mbeki says, “I think one of our mistakes is that we didn’t quite understand how to impart the experiences. She is gone now and not capable anymore of saying to younger people, with regard to the current challenges you face, this is what I think we need to do. I think that maybe those of us that are still around, who know her like I have known her for more than 50 years, have to say to the younger people ‘what did these people represent?'”
Mbeki has warned against those who seek to single out certain individuals when celebrating their role in the struggle for freedom. He says the likes of the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela need to be honoured for their role as a collective, which will include all women who fought for a liberated South Africa.
Mbeki was speaking in an interview with the SABC in which he shared the life and times of Madikizela Mandela.
“It’s not as though Winnie worked alone … they were in struggle, they were a collective. When they were in jail and detained in 1969, it was together with Samson Ndou, with Wallies Rute, Joice Skhakhane, with Snuki Zikalala, that whole group. So, when you talk about people who were engaged in struggle who were ready to sacrifice, sure she’s part of that. In celebrating her, I think we need to talk in those terms.”
Click below for more on the story:
