'Her life was and is always about defiance'

In the coming days, the ANC and South Africa will grapple with how to fittingly commemorate the life and legacy of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

As in her life, in death Madikizela-Mandela will be difficult to package, particularly within the confines of the “special official funeral” that President Cyril Ramaphosa has granted her.

Her life was messy and complex, her appeal was not limited to the ANC, and her power was not derived from any position she held, except perhaps as Mother of the Nation.

Among the many heroes who rose to lead the struggle against apartheid, there were two truly seminal figures. These were people so colossal that history simply cannot do them justice.

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