As the Nelson Mandela Museum (NMM) management, staff and Council, we would like to take this opportunity to join the entire South African nation, the African National Congress, the African continent and the globe as a whole to express our remorse following the fall of the giant tree and struggle icon in Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Instead of mourning her untimely passing, our view and conviction is that we should use this moment of melancholy to celebrate a life lived to the fullest.
It is our steadfast belief that the best way in which we can appropriately honour Mama Winnie in our different identities is to derive inspiration and courage from what she did and stood for with utmost courage and determination while still with us. Her resilient spirit should keep us going forward despite the hurdles. In the world of literature, Mama Winnie could best be described as a round character. She was all in one. Some will remember her as a loving mother, some will remember her as a shrewd and stubborn political activist, some will remember her as the victim of apartheid, some will remember her as an invincible woman who stood tall against all odds and under very trying conditions, some will remember her as a rebellious politician and a resolute defender of women. But most importantly, others will remember her as the most diligent champion of human rights and human dignity. None of these characteristic traits can be refuted. But the reality is that Mama Winnie was an all-rounder. She gave everyone something to hold onto and remember her with. While these accolades hold true of the heroine who has parted, we should briskly state that Mama Winnie was not a Saint. Conversely, she was a human being and made mistakes like all of us. In that context, we should not be oblivious to the fact that some will choose to remember her for her human mistakes. Surely, we cannot force everyone to eulogize Mama Winnie. However, it would be disingenuous at best and foolhardy at worst to forget all the good things she did for this country and her relentless effort to keep the masses focused all in the name of objectivity. Therefore, as the NMM family, we would like to emphatically add our voice in expressing our shock following the sad news about the passing of the Mother of the Nation. Our deepest condolences go to her family, especially her beloved children. But, at the same time, it is our sincere belief that as a nation we should derive inspiration from her and soldier on. After all, IT IS NOT YET UHURU! Our heroine has bowed out of the ring but her voice will continue to reverberate for many more decades to come. We should take the baton and continue with the fight. MAY HER SOULD REST IN PEACE!
