Starlight Spotlight on Winnie Madikizela-Mandela

Mother of the Nation

In the wake of the passing away of former South African president, freedom fighter and world-renowned leader, Nelson Mandela, it is no surprise that the thoughts of many have turned to his enigmatic ex-wife, Winnie. One of the top stories of the past few days has been her continued presence in the life of Nelson Mandela even after their divorce which occurred more than twenty years ago and most especially in the days leading up to his final moments. There are pictures of her (completely stealing the show) at a memorial service that was held in honor of her departed ex husband as well as one from a few years back of her sharing a laugh with Mandela’s widow, Graça Machel. Winnie is clearly a permanent fixture in South African politics and in the minds of many whenever they think of Nelson Mandela.

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at the Memorial Service held for Nelson Mandela

(Image courtesy of www.globalgrind.com)

Winnie met Nelson Mandela in 1957; they were married a year later and had two children before he was sent off to the notorious Robben Island prison in 1962. With her husband in jail and Winnie left to raise two young children on her own, one would have thought that her life was challenging enough. However, to add insult to injury, Winnie also had to deal with the constant harassment of the South African police who had apparently singled her out to be used as an example to help quell any notions the black majority may have had of an uprising. In this way, she was in a way, thrust into the forefront of the fight against apartheid and the struggle for freedom. Whether she liked it or not, she would not be allowed to quietly endure suddenly finding herself in the position of being a single parent while hoping and praying everyday that justice would be done and that her husband would be released.

In my previous post titled, “In Memory of Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013)” I posed the question following question, “What was it about this man that so captured the imagination of people the world over, that even when he had been in jail for what to my childish mind amounted to an eternity, people were still making movies, writing songs, holding concerts and calling for his release?” Indeed, Nelson Mandela was never forgotten by the general public even as he stayed in prison for almost three decades of his life. The credit for this at least partially, goes to his then wife, Winnie Mandela. After her husband’s imprisonment, she became the face of the ANC and the voice of the disenfranchised black majority in South Africa. She stood firm and spoke against the injustice of the system with great courage and defiance which earned her the love and admiration of ANC followers and the nickname, “Mother of the Nation”. In exchange, she was arrested on many occasions, detained, probably tortured and interrogated, imprisoned in solitary confinement for over a year and eventually banished to an isolated located miles away from her home.

Graça Machel and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela during Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday festivities.

(Image courtesy of www.theguardian.com)

The way events unfold in history and in the lives of those in the public eye can sometimes be surprising, confusing and a little anti-climactic. One example of this was that the very thing that people the world over had wanted – Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, also heralded Winnie Mandela’s fall from public grace. Today, one cannot speak of Winnie without making mention of the scandalous allegations of harassment, kidnappings, tortures and murders committed by members of her personal security detail in which she may or may not have had a hand. It is evident that Winnie did not necessarily agree with or choose to embrace Nelson Mandela’s conciliatory approach to ending the system of Apartheid and creating a more inclusive South Africa.

We may never know exactly what occurred during Mandela’s 27 years of imprisonment to bring about such a radical change in his outlook, seeing as he was himself of a more militant persuasion prior to being locked up. In the same vein, we may never know what really occurred and how much Winnie may have suffered in the years while she was out keeping her husband’s name alive, working with the ANC and continuing the struggle for freedom. This is not to say that there is ever an excuse for murdering another human being however, we are speaking of a nation where the human rights of the black majority were constantly being violated at every turn and by the government, no less! Therefore, we cannot view this situation with the same lenses that we would use if such things had happened in one of the Western countries, for example. It is for reasons like this that I am a firm proponent of having guiding principles and a belief in a something greater than ourselves. Having such an ideology can sometimes be the only thing to stop a human being from becoming abusive once power is attained. We are human after all and all of us are deeply flawed. Therefore, we will always need the influence of the supernatural to rise above our own sometimes dangerous natural propensities.

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (Image courtesy of www.biography.com)

Winnie and Nelson Mandela were such an “It” Couple in my mind and I loved seeing them together. I am also happy to see that she was still welcome in the family and in the household. This is yet another lesson that can be learnt when it comes to the unfortunate subject of divorce, why have feuding ex-husbands and wives when everyone could be congenial and united and provide an even richer environment for the children? Divorce is sad yes, but something good can come of it, the children could have the positive influence of even more adults if one or both of the individuals remarry and that should be a good thing. As the popular saying goes, “It take a village to raise a child”, so why do adults who should know better sometimes spend so much time resisting the very thing that they probably need the most?

In any case, I have chosen to salute Winnie Mandela today. I am certain that there are still millions like me who have chosen not to look with judgment at her flaws but rather with gratitude at the sacrifices that she also was forced to make in her life and at the fact that she was and still is a model of strong (and a bit scary) African womanhood, loyalty and leadership. Starlight salutes you Winnie, you certainly look great doing it!

XOXO,

Starlight.