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Winnie Madikizela-Mandela celebrates birthday

ANC stalwart was born on September 26, 1936

Coinciding with her 76th birthday today, MTV Base (DStv Channel 322)is set to broadcast a show featuring Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

The show was recorded in July at her home in Soweto, with MTV Base VJ Sizwe Dhlomo and a panel of young people from across the continent.

The 30-minute programme will include questions put to Madikizela-Mandela by 25-year old internal auditor Djenneba Sidibe (Zambia), South African journalist Chanelle Ellaya (25), Belinda Gaboo, a PPE Student at UNISA from Swaziland (24), Nigerian journalism student Akin Oyedele (22), African Leadership Academy student Goodman Lepota (19) and temp agency operations director Amandla Mbana (29).

Among the varied topics under discussion will be leadership, personal responsibility and the need for positive role models for young people. 

In July this year, Madikizela-Mandela and her daughter Zindzi raised eyebrows when they arrived with ex-ANC youth league leaders Julius Malema, Sandiso Magaqa and Floyd Shivambu to officially open a block of rooms at the Mzontsha Child Care Centre at Ngqeleni as part of the celebrations of former president Nelson Mandela's birthday. The home was donated by the Mandela family.

Madikizela-Mandela's endorsement of Malema came hot on the heels of her refusal to attend a Mandela Lecture delivered by President Jacob Zuma in Limpopo.

She was quoted as saying the leaders of the country, as they celebrated Madiba's 94th birthday, should remind themselves of his legacy and the role of the ANC in bettering the lives of people.

"We see our people today in the streets demonstrating against us ... it is one of the most painful things to observe that 18 years down the line we still have people who say we have failed them," said Madikizela-Mandela.

She also lashed out at her own party, accusing the ANC of using the Mandela family, and saying "We only matter when we have to be used for some agenda".

Mandela and Madikizela-Mandela were divorced in 1996 but she has remained central in family matters.

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