Members of the South African community in Doha paid tribute to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, prominent anti-apartheid activist and former wife of Nelson Mandela who passed away earlier this month, in a memorial service at the embassy on Thursday.
The programme was attended by ambassadors of other countries as well.
Madikizela-Mandela or ‘Mama Winnie’ as she was affectionately called, was honoured in a funeral ceremony in the township of Soweto in Johannesburg yesterday by a large number of people.
“Mama Winnie carried the flag and gave the commands, she was our commander-in-chief, we knew Nelson Mandela was in prison but Mama Winnie was behind us fighting,” recounted South African ambassador Faizel Moosa in his speech, highlighting her contribution to the struggle for liberation from the apartheid regime.
The envoy also cited the lady activist’s years of sacrifices during their fight for freedom and her relentless efforts to campaign for the release of her husband from jail.
However, Moosa noted that South Africa still has a “long way to go” in terms of real freedom.
“We are still struggling on economic freedom and Winnie Mandela was a proponent for the advancement of economic freedom,” Moosa said.
“Radical economic transformation, the land issue, and free education, so those were her brainchild we try to get implemented back in South Africa.”
He added that the embassy is planning to hold an annual memorial lecture in a number of educational institutions in Qatar soon, focusing not only on the Mandela family’s contribution to their beloved country but also “the message and life they represented.”
The memorial service saw Tembisa Fakude, a well-known local South African political analyst at Al Jazeera Centre for Studies and Research, and Sandra Phoma, a South African community leader who works at the Sidra Hospital, sharing the life of ‘Mama Winnie’ with the guests.
Swaziland ambassador Fezile Dlamini and Cuban ambassador Eumelio Caballero Rodriguez also lauded the accomplishments of Mama Winnie as they shared their personal experiences with the Mandelas.
Rodriguez and his wife, who met Mama Winnie personally when he was ambassador of Cuba to the Republic of Zimbabwe, said they had “the privilege of appreciating her great values as a woman of strong character and at the same time as a sweet and friendly person, a great friend of the Cuban people”.
“The political and social activist who was Winnie Mandela led strikes of black workers, went through prison twice, was tortured on numerous occasions and suffered exile in the village of Brandford for eight years,” the envoy noted.
Rodriguez stressed that Winnie was not only the courageous and unwavering champion of the struggle of the South African people for their liberation from the opprobrious apartheid regime, but she also became a source of inspiration for millions of women around the world.
Members of the South African community led by Ambassador Faizel Moosa and guests pay homage to Winnie Mandela at the ceremony at the embassy. PICTURES: Joey Aguilar
