Mama Winnie honoured, at last
- by Kim Reid
- in Global Media
- — Apr 15, 2018
The 59-year old told mourners that the government and the media had smeared lies against her mother through extreme cruelty that robbed her rightful legacy. Zenani said, "It was my mother who kept his (Nelson Mandela) memory alive". "It's been clear that South Africa, and really the world, holds men and women to different standards of morality".
"You said we must go back to the ANC".
"There are many young women who want to be like her who want to change the storyline about women, who want to ensure that we kill patriarchy".
He immediately announced that the ANC would consider bestowing on the struggle icon its highest award, Isithwalandwe Seaparankoe, an honour reserved for those who have made an outstanding contribution and sacrifice to the liberation struggle.
"I'm sorry Mama that your organisation delayed in according you its honour", Ramaphosa said.
In closing, let me say that when you read popular history about the liberation struggle as it now stands, you can be forgiven for thinking that it was a man's struggle, and a man's triumph.
Saturday's event marks the end of a 10-day national mourning that saw thousands of South Africans pay tribute to the "Mother of the Nation" at her Soweto home and elsewhere.
She said those who vilified her mother should not for one moment think that the family would forget that.
"She was perpetually in the trenches, never afraid that it would be too much for her to bear".
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South Africa's former Presidents Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma also attended the burial. Mourners booed when the presence of scandal-tainted Zuma was publicly acknowledged. Dignitaries also included Presidents of the Republic of Congo and Namibia, as well as civil rights leaders from around the world, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Her "steely leadership...gave strength to us all".
"The pain inflicted on her lives forever even after her death".
The township of Soweto is hugely symbolic in South Africa as it became a crucible of black resistance to white minority rule which ended with elections in 1994.
President Cyril Ramaphosa apologised that it had taken so long for the ANC to honour Madikizela-Mandela. While Mandela was imprisoned at Robben Island, she became his voice, providing regular updates to followers hungry for every detail. Not long after, she met African National Congress activist Mandela and the couple married in 1958, forming one of the most storied unions of the century.
"It is so disappointing to see how they withheld their words during my mother's lifetime, knowing very well what they would have meant to her".
But her controversial reputation has been largely brushed aside in the wake of her death with tributes to her bravery, independence and integrity dominating public commemorations.
Ramaphosa said during the dark days of the struggle against apartheid, Madikizela-Mandela felt compelled to pick up the spear where it had fallen.
The funeral brought together political foes, the ANC and EFF and the stadium reverberated as they sang in praise of Ma' Winnie, although most EFF supporters left after Malema's speech.
