The granddaughter of South Africa’s first democratically elected President Nelson Mandela, has passed away at the age of 43 after battling cancer.
She peacefully departed on Monday evening, surrounded by loved ones, according to a spokesperson.
In recent years, Ms. Mandela had gained recognition for openly sharing her journey through cancer treatment and her past struggles with drug addiction. Her courageous efforts were celebrated by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which praised her for raising awareness about cancer prevention and reducing the stigma associated with the disease.
Ms. Mandela also bravely discussed her battles with depression and her experience of childhood sexual abuse. Additionally, she actively campaigned for improved road safety following the tragic loss of her 13-year-old daughter in a car accident in 2010. Sadly, she also endured the loss of a prematurely born son. She is survived by four children.
As the granddaughter of Nelson Mandela’s second wife, Winnie, she chronicled her life story in her autobiography titled “When Hope Whispers.” Diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32, she initially went into remission after receiving treatment, but the illness later returned.
Last year, she revealed that the cancer had spread to her liver and lungs, affecting other organs. While she had been receiving outpatient treatment, she was admitted to the hospital just over a week ago.
“What do I tell my children? How do I tell them that this time around I may not get to live my life as a survivor? How do I tell them everything will be OK when it’s not? I’m dying… I don’t want to die,” she posted on Instagram early last month.
In an interview with Kaya FM in April, Ms Mandela said: “I’m learning to be okay with my eventuality.”
When her grandfather was freed from prison after 27 years in 1990, she was just ten years old.
Ms Mandela had only ever known him as a jailed man, so when he was released, she was overjoyed.
Mr. Mandela passed away in 2013 at the age of 95.