South Africa’s anti-apartheid campaigner Winnie Madikizela-Mandela dies aged 81
The former wife of Nelson Mandela was a controversial figure who had faced police investigations.
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Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, a prominent anti-apartheid activist and the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, has died at the age of 81.
Madikizela-Mandela was married to Nelson Mandela from 1958 to 1996.
Her political activism was marred by a kidnapping and assault conviction in 1991, for which she was fined.
She faced these allegations again during the 1997 hearings before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a panel that investigated apartheid-era crimes.
As a parliamentarian after South Africa’s first all-race elections, she was convicted of fraud.
Still, she was widely venerated in South Africa for her role in fighting white minority rule.
