Zindzi Mandela the youngest daughter of former South African leader Nelson Mandela passed away on Monday 13 July 2020 at a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. The spokesman of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) said.
The mother of four died at the age of 59 although the cause of her death is unclear, a local media reported.
The death was confirmed by members of the high-profile family, with Ms Mandela’s son Bambatha posting a photo of his late mother on Instagram with the caption “Lala ngo Xolo Madlomo”, which translates to English as “Sleep in peace Madam”.
Her four children, husband Molapo Motlhajwa and sister Zenani, 61, survive the deceased.
At the time of her death, she was South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark, a position she maintained since 2015.
Zindzi Mandela was born on December 23, 1960, in Soweto, and her well-known father was sent to prison when she was just 18 months old – where he remained until 1990.
Nelson Mandela is one of Meghan's heroes and was also a friend of the Queen. Nelson even called Her Majesty "Lizzie", according to Zindzi.
He was both a direct descendant of holders of the kingship of the Thembu people and an heir to the chieftaincy of Mvezo.
During her youth, Zindzi was often left in the care of her older sister Zenani Mandela when her mother Winnie Madikizela Mandela was sent to prison for months at a time.
In 1977, her mother was banished to the Free State and Zindzi lived with her. Zindzi was not able to complete her education until she was sent to Swaziland. Eventually, her mother was allowed to move back to Soweto.
Zindzi Mandela studied law at the University of Cape Town where she earned a BA in 1985 before following in her family’s political footsteps, temporarily serving as the nation’s First Lady following her father’s election and her parents’ divorce.
She held the position until Nelson Mandela married Graça Machel in 1998.
In 1985 her father was offered a conditional release by the South African president, P. W. Botha.
And this, when she rose to international fame where she was chosen to read his refusal at a public meeting on 10 February 1985 since her father's reply, could not be delivered by her parents.
She attended the 2013 premier of Long Walk to Freedom, a biopic of her late father based on his autobiography.
There, she met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as Idris Elba, who played her father.
Zindzi’s anti-apartheid activist father later died in December 2013, while her mother Winnie Madikizela-Mandela passed away in April 2018.
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