The families of some former ANC presidents in KwaZulu-Natal have expressed shock at the passing of struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
They’ve described her as a woman who remained resilient despite being terrorised by the apartheid police.
The grandson of Dr. John Langalibalele Dube, Langa Dube says Madikizela Mandela has left a huge leadership gap in the governing party.
“I think a huge gap is going to be left by Mama Winnie I don’t foresee any young upcoming generation trying to close that gap in terms of resisting whatever abnormality that exists within our society in a way I would say the kind of terrain that exist politically socially and otherwise actually it warrants one to think more to say when next are we going to be seeing people of Mama Winnie’s calibre especially when you look at the youth of today how they indulge themselves into wrong things.”
Political activist and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi – Ela Gandhi has described the death of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela as a loss of a powerful woman who valiantly fought for democracy.
Gandhi shared a close relationship with the struggle stalwart since 1970 when Madikizela-Mandela was exiled to the town of Brandfort in the Orange Free State.
Gandhi says Madikizela-Mandela had an unbreakable spirit.
“I myself was very shocked. It’s a great loss to the country and to the world. She was a very powerful, very inspirational person. I first met her in around 1970 when she was banished to Brandfort. That was the beginning of our acquaintanceship with her. She was put into isolation but nothing would actually break her spirit. In fact she was a great inspiration to other people who were in prison with her.”
US civil rights activist, Baptist Minister and Politician, Reverend Jesse Jackson has also sent his condolences.
