Zoleka Mandela, granddaughter of the late South African President Nelson Mandela, passed away Monday, according to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The 43-year-old was Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter with his second wife Winnie, according to the BBC. “We mourn the loss of a beloved grandchild of Mum Winnie and Madiba and a friend of the Foundation,” the Nelson Mandela Foundation said in a press release.
Zoleka Mandela was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 32, the BBC reported. She saw the disease go into remission before it later came back. She additionally developed cancer in her liver and lungs, among other organs.
Zoleka Mandela, activist and granddaughter of South Africa’s first democratically elected president Nelson Mandela, has died of cancer at the age of 43.
She was first diagnosed with breast cancer a decade ago.https://t.co/R8DdAspPiV pic.twitter.com/X86E7pPlSC
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) September 26, 2023
Zoleka “was a tireless activist for Healthcare and justice,” notable for “raising awareness about cancer prevention,” the foundation wrote. “Her unwavering commitment to breaking down the stigma surrounding the disease will continue to inspire us all.”
Zoleka spoke on her childhood experiences with sexual abuse, and also advocated for road safety after the 2010 loss of her daughter to a car accident, according to the BBC.
Zoleka, who reportedly lost another child to a premature birth, is survived by four children. She retells her story in an autobiography entitled “When Hope Whispers.” (RELATED: Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughter Has Harsh Words For Meghan Markle)
Nelson Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist and politician who spent 27 years in prison before rising to power as South Africa’s first democratically-elected president in 1994. He died in 2013 at 95 years old.