Persecuted and chastised in life, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has in death invoked the commitment of the country’s highest office to fulfil some of her deepest desires. President Cyril Ramaphosa said at Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral service at a packed Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday that the memory of the woman affectionately known as "Mama Winnie" or the "Mother of the Nation" could be honoured by pledging to dedicate "all our resources and energy" to empower the poor and vulnerable. Madikizela-Mandela, a social worker, dedicated her life to the upliftment of mainly black communities struggling with poverty and unemployment. "Let us honour her memory by pledging here that we will not betray the trust of her people‚ we will not squander or steal their resources‚ and that we will serve them diligently and selflessly," Ramaphosa said. The president recalled the wishes Madikizela-Mandela had expressed to the ANC leadership shortly before her death. She had spoken of her "deep...

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