| Profile | Data |
|---|---|
| Full Name: | Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela-Mandela |
| Stage Name: | Winnie Mandela |
| Born: | 26 September 1936 |
| Age: | 81 (at death, 2 April 2018) |
| Birthplace: | Mbongweni (Bizana), Pondoland, Transkei (now Eastern Cape), South Africa |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Occupation: | Social worker, anti-apartheid activist, politician |
| Height: | Unknown |
| Religion: | Unknown |
| Parents: | Columbus Kokani Madikizela (father), Nomathamsanqa Gertrude Mzaidume (mother) |
| Siblings: | Fifth of nine children (eight siblings) |
| Spouse: | Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (m.1958–1996; divorced) |
| Children: | Zenani (b.1959), Zindziswa “Zindzi” (1960–2020) |
| Relationship: | Prominent political partnership with Nelson Mandela; marriage ended in divorce |
| Net Worth: | Unknown |
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela; 26 September 1936 – 2 April 2018) was one of South Africa’s most visible and polarizing figures of the anti-apartheid era.
A trained social worker and a tireless campaigner against racial injustice, she rose to national prominence while her husband, Nelson Mandela, endured 27 years in prison.
Admirers called her the “Mother of the Nation”; critics pointed to episodes of violence, legal troubles, and contested decisions that complicated her legacy.
Early life and education
Winnie was born in the rural Transkei region, into a family of teachers. Her father, Columbus Kokani Madikizela, and mother, Nomathamsanqa Gertrude Mzaidume, emphasized education; Winnie went on to train as a social worker and became one of the first qualified Black social workers at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. Her early encounters with apartheid discrimination shaped her lifelong activism.
Marriage to Nelson Mandela and emergence as an activist
In 1958 Winnie married Nelson Mandela. When Nelson was arrested in 1962 and later jailed after the Rivonia Trial (1963), Winnie became a public face of resistance inside South Africa. She kept his memory alive, organized protests, supported families of the imprisoned, and worked with community groups — positioning herself as a leader in the internal struggle against apartheid. The marriage, prolonged separations and political pressure changed their relationship over decades and eventually led to separation in 1992 and divorce in 1996.
The costs of resistance: detention, harassment, and resilience
Winnie endured repeated detentions, bannings (restrictions on movement and association), house arrests, and harassment by apartheid security forces. These experiences — including torture and intimidation — hardened her stance and increased her standing among many Black South Africans who saw her as both a victim of the regime and a defiant leader who refused to back down. Her fearless public persona and use of confrontational rhetoric made her both a symbol of defiance and a lightning rod for controversy.
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Controversies, trials and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Winnie’s history is marked by serious allegations. In the late 1980s she was associated with a group of young bodyguards known as the Mandela United Football Club; the group was implicated in kidnappings, assaults and the death of 14-year-old Stompie Seipei in 1989. In 1991 she was convicted of kidnapping and being an accessory to assault; on appeal the sentence was altered and later she faced additional legal inquiries and TRC scrutiny. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) documented multiple allegations and concluded that she had at least been complicit in or negligent around certain abuses — conclusions that haunt her public reputation and continue to be debated.
Political career after apartheid
With the end of apartheid, Winnie served in elected positions and held a deputy ministerial post in the first democratic government. She was active in the African National Congress (ANC), including leadership in the ANC Women’s League, and returned intermittently to Parliament. However, allegations of corruption culminated in a fraud and theft conviction in 2003 related to a banking and funeral-insurance scandal; she resigned from Parliament after that conviction (some counts were later overturned on appeal). These late-career events complicated any simple hagiography and fed debates about the costs and compromises of liberation politics.
Later life, honors and death
In later years Winnie received honors as an anti-apartheid veteran, including national recognition and awards; she remained a popular and influential public figure for many South Africans. She died on 2 April 2018 in Johannesburg at age 81, leaving behind a complex legacy that blends sacrifice, courage, controversy, and the unresolved tensions of a country emerging from systemic injustice.
Legacy — why Winnie still matters
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s life resists neat categorization. For millions she was a heroine who kept the flame of resistance alive when others were silenced. For others she embodied some of the contradictions and moral failures of violent struggle. Her story remains central to South Africa’s national memory because it raises persistent questions: How do oppressed people resist without losing moral clarity? What are the ethical limits of leadership during liberation? Winnie’s memory forces South Africa — and the world — to confront those hard questions.
FAQs
Q: When was Winnie Mandela born and when did she die?
A: Born 26 September 1936. Died 2 April 2018.
Q: How many children did she have?
A: Two daughters with Nelson Mandela: Zenani (b.1959) and Zindziswa “Zindzi” (1960–2020).
Q: Was Winnie ever convicted of a crime?
A: Yes. In 1991 she was convicted of kidnapping and being an accessory to assault; later she faced TRC findings and a 2003 conviction for fraud/theft that led to her resignation from Parliament (some convictions and sentences were later adjusted on appeal).
Q: What was her role in the anti-apartheid movement?
A: She was a leading internal activist and organizer, especially while Nelson Mandela was imprisoned; she mobilized communities, led protests and became a symbol of domestic resistance.
Q: What is Winnie’s legacy today?
A: Deeply contested — she is honored as a freedom fighter by many while her involvement in human rights abuses and legal controversies complicates her legacy. Her life prompts debates about resistance, leadership and accountability.
Conclusion
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s life was dramatic, uncompromising and consequential. She lived at the very center of South Africa’s most wrenching conflicts: personal sacrifice and public accusation, devotion to liberation and the moral ambiguities that sometimes accompany violent struggle.
Understanding Winnie means holding multiple truths at once — honoring her courage and acknowledging the harm that occurred under her watch.
Her story remains essential for anyone seeking to understand the human dimensions of political resistance and the messy moral terrain of revolutionary change.