“For 27 years after the trial of Rivonia‚ most of the world had not seen Nelson Mandela. There was no internet‚ no cellphones‚ no Google‚ no Facebook and so for 27 years we knew Nelson Mandela was alive because his heart was beating and that was Winnie's heart‚” Jackson said.
“For 27 years he was in the dark and Winnie kept the Mandela name alive. With her strength and courage she redefined the struggle. She made this a global struggle‚” said Jackson.
He was speaking outside Madikizela-Mandela’s home in Orlando‚ Johannesburg‚ ahead of the arrival of her body.
The 81-year-old‚ who died on last Monday‚ will spend one more night at home before she is buried at the Fourways Memorial Park on Saturday.
She died after a lengthy illness.
Jackson compared Madikizela-Mandela to great women in the Bible.
“From Mary we got Jesus the Saviour‚ from the mother of Moses we got a leader‚ from Winnie we got a nation‚” Jackson said. “In so many ways‚ she is like Esther.
“She could have just been a quiet mother with two children. She was a beautiful woman. She could have laid back … but she never stopped fighting. She never stopped serving. She took the slayings‚ so by her heart and her strikes we are healed. By the pain she took‚ we are healed‚” said Jackson.
“She never left the belly of the beast. She never stopped fighting‚ so because of that we are grateful. We say thank you‚” he said.
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