News Break
The youngest daughter of former South African president Nelson Mandela and anti-apartheid heroine Winnie Mandela died on Monday after testing positive for COVID-19.
The 59-year-old diplomat died in a hospital in Gauteng province which was identified as South Africa’s Covid19 epicentre. Zindzi’s son Zondwa, confirmed her mothers’ positive diagnosis although what caused her death was yet to be confirmed.
Before her death, Zindzi served as Pretoria’s ambassador to Denmark since 2015 but was set to be transferred to Liberia.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa mourned Zinzi saying he was “deeply saddened” by her death.
“I offer my deep condolences to the Mandela family as we mourn the passing of a fearless political activist who was a leader in her own right. Our sadness is compounded by this loss being visited upon us just days before the world marks the birthday of the great Nelson Mandela.” Said President Ramaphosa.
From Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga have both sent their condolences to the government of South Africa and to the Mandela family.
In 1985 State President PW Botha offered Nelson Mandela his freedom on condition that he ‘unconditionally rejected violence as a political weapon’. His daughter Zindzi in turn read out his rejection letter to a mass gathering in Soweto below;
