- Zindziswa Mandela, the youngest daughter of former president Nelson Mandela, had tested positive for Covid-19.
- She died a day before the anniversary of the death of Mandela’s eldest son, Thembekile, who died in a car accident.
- Zindziswa, also known as Zindzi, was the South African ambassador to Denmark.
Zindziswa Mandela
tested positive for Covid-19 at the time of her death, her son, Zondwa, has
confirmed.
Speaking on Full
View on the SABC on Wednesday night, the 35-year-old confirmed the
news but it was not yet clear what her cause of death was as they were
still awaiting the results of her post mortem.
“There were
other tests that were conducted and my mother did in fact test positive for
Covid-19 on the day of her passing. Although this doesn’t therefore mean that
she died of Covid-related complications but simply that she tested positive for
it.”
“Several other tests
have been done and those tests will give us further information as to what
could have led to her untimely death,” he added.
Zondwa also confirmed
his mother would be buried on Friday morning.
READ | ‘A leader in her own right’ – Ramaphosa pays tribute to
‘fearless political activist’ Zindzi Mandela
He said the family
has chosen to bury her on Friday and not on Saturday as the 18 July would be
her father Nelson Mandela’s birthday.
Zondwa described his
mother as a resilient fighter, and someone who remained true to herself.
“Very importantly, she
was an amazing mother who ensured that we were given the strength to live
according to our own purpose and journey.
“For someone who came
from such a strong family, she knew that she needed to impart our own identity
within in so that we could actually lead and carry on our own legacies.”
Zondwa said his
mother should be remembered for the good-natured person she was.
“She was a person that
connected the family to its cultural roots, she was a person who loved, she had
a great amount of friends and we want to continue to celebrate that happy side
and amazing side of her.
“She remained true to
herself, was free to speak her mind regardless of the occasion.”
Zindziswa, who had
been South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark since 2015, died in the early hours
of Monday in a Johannesburg hospital. She was 59.
The Nelson Mandela
Foundation said it was left heartbroken by her death.
“Zindzi will be
remembered for a rich and extraordinary life, marked by many iconic moments.
The years she spent banished with Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to the small
town of Brandfort,” foundation spokesperson Luzuko Koti said.
“That summer’s
day in February 1985 at Jabulani Stadium, when she read to the world Madiba’s
rejection of president [PW] Botha’s offer of a conditional release from prison.
Her own courageous work in underground structures and public service as South
African ambassador to Denmark,” Koti added in a statement.
OBITUARY | Zindzi Mandela dies aged 59
“We will also
remember her as a special soul. She worked with the foundation on many projects
over the years, for instance the book Hunger for Freedom by
author Anna Trapido.
“We valued her
generosity, her warmth and her sense of humour. She was always patient in
responding to our requests for information and other forms of assistance. And
we admired her strength in dealing with life’s challenges and tragedies.”
The foundation’s
chief executive, Sello Hatang, said: “I feel paralysed today. My heart is
broken”.
President Cyril
Ramaphosa described Zindzi as a “fearless political activist who was a
leader in her own right”.
“Zindzi Mandela
was a household name nationally and internationally, who during our years of
struggle brought home the inhumanity of the apartheid system and the
unshakeable resolve of our fight for freedom.
“After our
liberation, she became an icon of the task we began of transforming our society
and stepping into spaces and opportunities that had been denied to generations
of South Africans.
“Her spirit
joins Tata Madiba and Mama Winnie in a reunion of leaders to whom we owe our
freedom”.
The Desmond and Leah
Tutu Legacy Foundation in a statement said Winnie Mandela and her daughters,
Zindzi and Zenani, “played a critical role symbolising the humanity and
steadfastness of the anti-apartheid struggle” for the 27 years that
Mandela was imprisoned.
“With Zindzi’s death,
aged just 59, South Africa loses an important generational link connecting our
divided history to the promise of better, more inclusive, tomorrows,” it
added.
