'Winnie was a rebel within a rebellion' - Kasrils

The legacy and persona of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela will outlast all South African presidents apart from Nelson Mandela.

That is what former intelligence minister and struggle stalwart Ronnie Kasrils said in an interview on the Karima Brown Show on Radio 702 on Wednesday night. 

“Winnie’s legacy and her persona is actually going to last a lot longer than a lot of others‚ including‚ save for Madiba‚ all our presidents‚” Kasrils said.

“I am not saying that in a bitter way‚ but she was larger than life.”

Madikizela-Mandela died on Monday at the age of 81 at the Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg after a long illness due to which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year. She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones‚ the family said in an official statement.

Kasrils described Madikizela-Mandela as an “absolute marvel” who we will “miss and miss and miss”.

He believes she was misunderstood‚ because she was “a rebel within a rebellion”.

“Rebelliousness and passion can cause problems of leadership and even a person‚ a human being. We’re all flawed‚” Kasrils said.

“These are people who you can’t easily control. They have such a deep passion and it’s a passion that outshines a lot of the bright peers who they are part of.”

Kasrils said Madikizela-Mandela will continue to inspire future generations‚ because the mythology of rebels grows over time.

“It magnifies and it does powerful things for the future‚” Kasrils said.

“She leaves us with the spirit of the rebel. Never to accept conventionality which is authoritarianism in various disguises.”