Winnie Madikizela-Mandela yesterday said the passing of struggle stalwart Ahmed Kathrada pained her in the same way as the death of her ex-husband Nelson Mandela.
“It wasn’t just the passing of another stalwart. To me‚ it was a rehash of Madiba’s passing and it was very‚ very emotional for me‚” she said.
“He was an extension of Madiba and his parting just brings finality to a chapter in the history of our struggle‚” Madikizela-Mandela added.
She was speaking at the Nelson Mandela Foundation following a commemoration for Kathrada.
Dressed in a black outfit with her head covered in a black turban‚ she wept as her daughter‚ Zenani, recalled her memories of Kathrada and her father.
Kathrada died at the Donald Gordon Hospital earlier yesterday morning. The health of the 86-year-old took a turn for the worse on Monday after doctors picked up he had a brain clot.
His funeral will take place today from 10am at the Westpark Cemetery‚ Beyers Naude Drive‚ Johannesburg.
Members of the public and the media are welcome to attend the funeral ceremony‚ the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation said in a statement.
Former President Kgalema Motlanthe‚ who is also a board member of the foundation‚ was expected to address mourners at the funeral.
Meanwhile‚ President Jacob Zuma announced that Kathrada would be given a special official funeral.
“The president has instructed that the national flag fly at half-mast at every station in the country from today‚ 28 March until the evening of the official memorial service‚” a statement from his office said.
“President Zuma sends his deepest condolences to his partner‚ former minister of public enterprises Ms Barbara Hogan‚ the Kathrada family and his political home‚ the African National Congress‚ which Uncle Kathy served selflessly throughout his adult life.”
The presidency said Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was to lead the send-off.
Madikizela-Mandela echoed the sentiments of political activist Barbara Mosekela who said Kathrada died at a time the country was not in a good position.
Mosekela said the nation could not say Kathrada died a happy man.
Madikizela-Mandela said she wished Kathrada had not died at this particular time. “I can imagine how pained he was that he left at this point in time. All that he had fought for is not what is going on today. It is a tragedy that he did live and saw what is happening today.”
Last year‚ Kathrada penned a letter to Zuma‚ imploring him to resign shortly after Zuma removed Finance Minister‚ Nhlanhla Nene. In the letter‚ Kathrada said he was pained to write the note as he had always been a loyal member of the ANC.
“I am not a political analyst‚ but I am now driven to ask: ‘Dear Comrade President‚ don’t you think your continued stay as president will only serve to deepen the crisis of confidence in the government of the country’?” Kathrada wrote.
He continued: “I know that if I were in the president’s shoes‚ I would step down with immediate effect … Today I appeal to our president to submit to the will of the people and resign.”
Meanwhile‚ Madikizela-Mandela said the country was in crisis. “We cannot pretend that South Africa is not in crisis. Our country is in crisis and anyone who does not see that‚ they are bluffing themselves. We have very serious problems.”
The commemoration for Kathrada was attended by high-profile figures‚ including former speaker of parliament Frene Ginwala‚ human rights lawyer George Bizos and political activist Sophie de Bruyn.
Kathrada was among those tried and jailed alongside Mandela in the Rivonia trial in 1964, which drew worldwide attention to the brutalities of the apartheid regime.
Kathrada spent 26 years and three months in prison, 18 of which were on Robben Island.
After the end of apartheid, he served from 1994 to 1999 as parliamentary counsellor to President Mandela in the first ANC government.
Retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu described Kathrada as “a man of remarkable gentleness, modesty and steadfastness,” hailing him as a moral leader of the anti-apartheid movement.
“These were people of the highest integrity and moral fibre who, through their humility and humanity, inspired our collective self-worth – and the world’s confidence in us,” Tutu said in a statement. — Tiso Black Star Group-AFP
Winnie distraught ANC icon Kathrada died in time of crisis
“It wasn’t just the passing of another stalwart. To me‚ it was a rehash of Madiba’s passing and it was very‚ very emotional for me‚” she said.
“He was an extension of Madiba and his parting just brings finality to a chapter in the history of our struggle‚” Madikizela-Mandela added.
She was speaking at the Nelson Mandela Foundation following a commemoration for Kathrada.
Dressed in a black outfit with her head covered in a black turban‚ she wept as her daughter‚ Zenani, recalled her memories of Kathrada and her father.
Kathrada died at the Donald Gordon Hospital earlier yesterday morning. The health of the 86-year-old took a turn for the worse on Monday after doctors picked up he had a brain clot.
His funeral will take place today from 10am at the Westpark Cemetery‚ Beyers Naude Drive‚ Johannesburg.
Members of the public and the media are welcome to attend the funeral ceremony‚ the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation said in a statement.
Former President Kgalema Motlanthe‚ who is also a board member of the foundation‚ was expected to address mourners at the funeral.
Meanwhile‚ President Jacob Zuma announced that Kathrada would be given a special official funeral.
“The president has instructed that the national flag fly at half-mast at every station in the country from today‚ 28 March until the evening of the official memorial service‚” a statement from his office said.
“President Zuma sends his deepest condolences to his partner‚ former minister of public enterprises Ms Barbara Hogan‚ the Kathrada family and his political home‚ the African National Congress‚ which Uncle Kathy served selflessly throughout his adult life.”
The presidency said Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was to lead the send-off.
Madikizela-Mandela echoed the sentiments of political activist Barbara Mosekela who said Kathrada died at a time the country was not in a good position.
Mosekela said the nation could not say Kathrada died a happy man.
Madikizela-Mandela said she wished Kathrada had not died at this particular time. “I can imagine how pained he was that he left at this point in time. All that he had fought for is not what is going on today. It is a tragedy that he did live and saw what is happening today.”
Last year‚ Kathrada penned a letter to Zuma‚ imploring him to resign shortly after Zuma removed Finance Minister‚ Nhlanhla Nene. In the letter‚ Kathrada said he was pained to write the note as he had always been a loyal member of the ANC.
“I am not a political analyst‚ but I am now driven to ask: ‘Dear Comrade President‚ don’t you think your continued stay as president will only serve to deepen the crisis of confidence in the government of the country’?” Kathrada wrote.
He continued: “I know that if I were in the president’s shoes‚ I would step down with immediate effect … Today I appeal to our president to submit to the will of the people and resign.”
Meanwhile‚ Madikizela-Mandela said the country was in crisis. “We cannot pretend that South Africa is not in crisis. Our country is in crisis and anyone who does not see that‚ they are bluffing themselves. We have very serious problems.”
The commemoration for Kathrada was attended by high-profile figures‚ including former speaker of parliament Frene Ginwala‚ human rights lawyer George Bizos and political activist Sophie de Bruyn.
Kathrada was among those tried and jailed alongside Mandela in the Rivonia trial in 1964, which drew worldwide attention to the brutalities of the apartheid regime.
Kathrada spent 26 years and three months in prison, 18 of which were on Robben Island.
After the end of apartheid, he served from 1994 to 1999 as parliamentary counsellor to President Mandela in the first ANC government.
Retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu described Kathrada as “a man of remarkable gentleness, modesty and steadfastness,” hailing him as a moral leader of the anti-apartheid movement.
“These were people of the highest integrity and moral fibre who, through their humility and humanity, inspired our collective self-worth – and the world’s confidence in us,” Tutu said in a statement. — Tiso Black Star Group-AFP
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos