Tutu visits Madikizela-Mandela's family in Soweto

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah travelled to Gauteng today to convey their condolences to the family of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

They were accompanied to the Soweto home by the chief executive officer of the Nelson Mandela Foundation‚ Sello Hatang‚ and Mrs Thembi Hatang‚ a spokesperson for Tutu said.

In a statement after learning of Madikizela-Mandela’s passing last week‚ Tutu described her as a defining symbol of the struggle against apartheid who refused to be bowed by the imprisonment of her husband‚ the harassment of her family by security forces‚ detentions‚ bannings or banishment.

The families were neighbours in Soweto for a number of years.

When Madikizela-Mandela was banished to Brandfort‚ the archbishop - then bishop of Lesotho - regularly travelled to visit and pray with her.