ZENANI MANDELA SLAMS HYPOCRITES AT HER MOTHER'S FUNERAL, WINNIE MADIKIZELA MANDELA.
ZENANI MANDELA SPEAKS DURING WINNIE MADIKIZELA MANDELA'S FUNERAL IN SOWETO, ORLANDO STADIUM, SATURDAY.
Maleka Charles
It was a roar of demented commotion on Saturday, as Mama Winnie’s daughter, Zenani Mandela addressed the people that attended the late Winnie Mandela’s funeral at Orlando Stadium.
About thousands of women and men attended the funeral to pay homage to this long anti-apartheid activist, who fought hard for freedom during apartheid
Mandela spoke about the pain and lies her mother had gone through and how she was robbed of her legacy during her life time.
“It is so disappointing to see how they withheld their words during my mother’s life time, knowing very well what they would have meant to her.”
“Only do they know why they chose to share the truth with the world after she departed, I think their actions are actions of extreme cruelty, because they robbed my mother of her rightful legacy during her lifetime.”
The outspoken Mandela lambasted the former police commissioner George Fibers for coming out with the truth after Winnie’s death.
Click here to listen >Zenani Mandela speaks during her mother's funeral
She also warned the people that have vilified her mother on social media, books and speeches, saying they would not forget their behaviors.
“I was particularly angered by the former police commissioner George Fibers for cruelly only coming out with the truth after my mother’s death.”
“And to those of you who’s vilified my mother through books, on social media and speeches don’t think for a minute that we’ve forgotten.”
“The pain you inflicted on her lives on in us, praising her now that she is gone, shows what hypocrites you are.”
“Why didn’t you do the same of her male counterparts and remind the world of the many crimes they committed before they were called saints”
Mandela acknowledged the South Africans and particularly the world for holding men and women to different standards of morality, and urged the people to continue fighting for the emancipation of their country as freedom is not a picnic, where you can simply reach it at your best behavior.
“Over the past three weeks and a half it has become clear that South Africa and indeed the world hold men and women to different standards of morality.”
“Much of what my mother has been called to account for is simply ignored when it comes to her male counterparts.”
“And this kind of double standard has also obscured the immense contribution of women to the emancipation of our country from the evil of apartheid.”
“I say fight the battle of our freedom was not some polite picnic at which you arrive on at your best behavior
Zenani thanked Winnie Madikizela Mandela for a huge role she played in freeing black people from the shackles of apartheid.
She also said she is deeply greatful to have known and cherished her mother for being so strong.
“I’m deeply greatful to have known and cherished this woman that I called my mother, it is difficult to accept that she is no longer with us, because she was always so strong.”
Winnie Mandela was one of women who rose against patriarchy, prejudice and the might of the nuclear arms state to bring peace and democracy for her people. Zenani said.
