Winnie Mandela Passed Away!

Winnie, the mother of a nation passed away.

The ex-wife of South African president Nelson Mandela passed away today at the age of 81.

She was the first Black spouse of South Africa.

Winnie Mandela, the pioneer who fought against apartheid in South Africa and passed away of natural causes. Her family confirmed that she died in Johannesburg.

She was born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela in 1936. She was known as the Mother of a Nation. It was a movement to end harsh discrimination in South Africa by a white minority.

Her activism began when Nelson and her met during a rally. Mandela demanded an end to the White dominated government. He called upon world leaders to support his bid to end apartheid. He was riding a bus that morning when he saw Winnie near another bus stop. He actually got off the bus to compliment her on her looks. She wooed her and offered her lunch. He swept her off her feet.

He told her that he wasn't happy in his marriage with Evelyn Made because she didn't want to stand for the cause. He would quickly divorce her and married Winnie a few months later.

When Nelson was railroaded in a kangaroo court, he was sent to the federal lock up for 27 years. While imprisoned, he wrote letters encouraging South Africans to resist oppressive regimes. His wife Winnie was by his side throughout the whole ordeal.

White people loathed Nelson and Winnie because they were effective. Mandela said that day could come when Black folks across the motherland would rebel and reclaim the world by force. That had some here in the United States shaking. The patron saint of the Republican Party, Ronald Reagan would look the other way because he believed the African National Congress was a terrorist group. Dick Cheney would lead a coalition of Republicans to oppose the release of Mandela from the federal lock up on Robben Island.

The fight to end apartheid in South Africa was led by Nelson and Winnie Mandela.

Winnie would criticize the United States of being the backers of oppressive regimes and enablers of racism.

Winnie throughout her life fought for equality and rights of people.

She wasn't perfect. The couple lived separated lives while he was president of South Africa. While it was no secret Nelson had wandering eyes, the two managed to work together for the sake of South Africa. The two lived apart before they divorced in 1996.

In 2006, Winnie was convicted in South African courts of theft and embezzlement for taking money for personal expenses. She was almost given a nickel in the iron college. It was reduced to in house granted she resigned from the Women's League of South Africa and exit from the ANC.

Winnie leaves behind two daughters Zenani Mandela-Dlamini and Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane.

Many from across the world paid their respects to her. We honor her too on World News Today.