Madikizela-Mandela helped the former president survive 27 years behind bars: Malema
The EFF's leader praised Madikizela-Mandela for keeping Mandela's name and the liberation struggle alive during apartheid.
FILE: A picture taken on 13 April 1986 shows Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, then-wife of South African president Nelson Mandela and anti-apartheid campaigner, addressing a meeting in Kagiso township. Picture: AFP.
JOHANNESBURG - Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Leader Julius Malema says that if it were not for Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Nelson Mandela might not have survived his 27 years behind bars.
Speaking at the party’s Freedom Day rally in Brandfort, in the Free State, on Sunday, Malema paid tribute to the late struggle icon.
This comes as the country commemorates its first democratic election, held on this day, 31 years ago.
Malema praised Madikizela-Mandela for keeping Mandela's name and the liberation struggle alive during apartheid.
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He addressed a sea of red at the Majwemasweu sports facility just across her former home, where she was banished under apartheid rule.
Forced by the regime to leave Johannesburg, Madikizela-Mandela was relocated to what was then known as the Orange Free State.
Despite her banishment, she continued political activism while Mandela served time from 1962 to 1990.
The EFF leader said that Madikizela-Mandela's role in the country's journey to freedom deserves to be celebrated.
"If it were not for Winnie Mandela, the man Nelson Mandela might not have survived the 27 years of his imprisonment. She kept his name alive, she kept the struggle burning, she ensured that the world never forgot Robben Island."