Winnifred Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela is many things to many people; making it all the harder to effectively capture or summarise her role in South Africa's history or in the country's present.
For some she is Mother of the Nation. For others she is a struggle icon. For others she is the lodestar of the contemporary women's movement. The titles she has worn are many: she is Mam Winnie the freedom fighter; the activist; the revolutionary; the friend and comrade; the married woman; and the mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
In commemorating the 80th birthday of this great woman who has played such an important role in this country's history, I have chosen to reflect on these different roles because as a woman who decided in my youth to dedicate myself to my people's struggle for liberation, Mam Winnie's life offers a very particular form of instruction.
It is a lesson that sustained me in extremely dark times: when at the height of the anti-apartheid struggle as a young woman living in exile I questioned myself as to whether the direction I had chosen would not ultimately come at too great a cost. Particularly at a cost to being a mother and big sister to my siblings.
It is perhaps unfortunate that despite the liberation movement having had many great women leaders, their stories of life during the struggle have not been as prominently publicised as those of their male comrades.
This has had its consequences; namely that the generations that have come afterwards, have not had the benefit of a window of history being opened to them into the lives and circumstances of women leaders of the ANC and the liberation forces in general.
Our experiences were fundamentally different to those of men. Women who chose a life of struggle had to deal with banishment from their extended families, leaving parents and other dependent family members behind, and not seeing them again.
Others were separated from their children - some of these children, like in my own case, were raised by family members, not knowing the warmth of a mother's touch for many many years. Yet others had their marriages ripped apart, as either they or their partners were imprisoned, banished or forced into exile.
Tragically, the historical record indicates that countless numbers of women were victims of sexual and other gender-based violence in prison during apartheid - even some female leaders.
And yet, despite facing challenges that were unique because we were women, we always knew that we would survive, we would prevail. And the reason we were confident was because we had an example in the great woman, Mam Winnie Mandela.
For countless other women in the struggle, the story of this great woman was what sustained and nourished us.
Her name Nomzamo means 'one who endures tribulations patiently' - and indeed she continues to teach us through her life's example the benefits of discipline, of commitment, of patience, and of endurance - sometimes even in the face of unspeakable acts of human cruelty.
Perhaps above all, she continues to teach us that no price is too high to pay for one's principles.
Although it should never be assumed that gender alone is the sole basis for solidarity amongst women, many, many young women of the ANC continue to look up to her as a gender activist who has been unswerving in her commitment to the betterment of the life of the women of this country, and black women in particular.
Often she does not have to say a word: her life's example has been enough to give us the courage to persevere when days are dark.
Hers has been a courageous and brave voice; one that has not hesitated to chide us as leaders in the movement when she sees us straying from the path. This is a characteristic for which she is well known.
As the leader of society, the ANC is proud that we can count among our great leaders this iconic woman whose life offers us instruction in so many ways. Our public life is made all the richer by her presence.
To paraphrase Shakespeare, her powerful presence and voice "is an ever-fixed mark.. that looks on tempests and is never shaken".
Happy Birthday to the Mother of the Nation!
l Lindiwe Zulu is a member of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) and minister of small business development
Why Mama Winnie is a national treasure
Winnifred Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela is many things to many people; making it all the harder to effectively capture or summarise her role in South Africa's history or in the country's present.
For some she is Mother of the Nation. For others she is a struggle icon. For others she is the lodestar of the contemporary women's movement. The titles she has worn are many: she is Mam Winnie the freedom fighter; the activist; the revolutionary; the friend and comrade; the married woman; and the mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
In commemorating the 80th birthday of this great woman who has played such an important role in this country's history, I have chosen to reflect on these different roles because as a woman who decided in my youth to dedicate myself to my people's struggle for liberation, Mam Winnie's life offers a very particular form of instruction.
It is a lesson that sustained me in extremely dark times: when at the height of the anti-apartheid struggle as a young woman living in exile I questioned myself as to whether the direction I had chosen would not ultimately come at too great a cost. Particularly at a cost to being a mother and big sister to my siblings.
It is perhaps unfortunate that despite the liberation movement having had many great women leaders, their stories of life during the struggle have not been as prominently publicised as those of their male comrades.
This has had its consequences; namely that the generations that have come afterwards, have not had the benefit of a window of history being opened to them into the lives and circumstances of women leaders of the ANC and the liberation forces in general.
Our experiences were fundamentally different to those of men. Women who chose a life of struggle had to deal with banishment from their extended families, leaving parents and other dependent family members behind, and not seeing them again.
Others were separated from their children - some of these children, like in my own case, were raised by family members, not knowing the warmth of a mother's touch for many many years. Yet others had their marriages ripped apart, as either they or their partners were imprisoned, banished or forced into exile.
Tragically, the historical record indicates that countless numbers of women were victims of sexual and other gender-based violence in prison during apartheid - even some female leaders.
And yet, despite facing challenges that were unique because we were women, we always knew that we would survive, we would prevail. And the reason we were confident was because we had an example in the great woman, Mam Winnie Mandela.
For countless other women in the struggle, the story of this great woman was what sustained and nourished us.
Her name Nomzamo means 'one who endures tribulations patiently' - and indeed she continues to teach us through her life's example the benefits of discipline, of commitment, of patience, and of endurance - sometimes even in the face of unspeakable acts of human cruelty.
Perhaps above all, she continues to teach us that no price is too high to pay for one's principles.
Although it should never be assumed that gender alone is the sole basis for solidarity amongst women, many, many young women of the ANC continue to look up to her as a gender activist who has been unswerving in her commitment to the betterment of the life of the women of this country, and black women in particular.
Often she does not have to say a word: her life's example has been enough to give us the courage to persevere when days are dark.
Hers has been a courageous and brave voice; one that has not hesitated to chide us as leaders in the movement when she sees us straying from the path. This is a characteristic for which she is well known.
As the leader of society, the ANC is proud that we can count among our great leaders this iconic woman whose life offers us instruction in so many ways. Our public life is made all the richer by her presence.
To paraphrase Shakespeare, her powerful presence and voice "is an ever-fixed mark.. that looks on tempests and is never shaken".
Happy Birthday to the Mother of the Nation!
l Lindiwe Zulu is a member of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) and minister of small business development
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