EDITORIAL: Winnie: forged in the fire of struggle
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela knew her mind and she spoke it with indifference to the consequences for her own wellbeing
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela never lacked courage. She suffered greatly under the heel of the apartheid system and was one of many who were banished, banned and detained without trial for her opposition to its noxious policies. She rose to prominence as the wife of Nelson Mandela during the 27 years he spent in jail. But she was far more than just his wife; she was a powerful icon of resistance in her own right. Madikizela-Mandela knew her mind and she spoke it with indifference to the consequences for her own wellbeing. After Mandela was jailed, she said in 1962: "They think, because they have put my husband on an island, that he will be forgotten. They are wrong. The harder they try to silence him, the louder I will become!" These words struck fear into the hearts of the apartheid overlords. They’d bet that once in jail, Mandela would be forgotten and diminished. Instead, they faced the wrath of his fearless wife, who ensured he stayed centre stage. The fact that they’d miscalculated...
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