This archive report was first published on 16 July 2020.
On the day of her untimely death, Zindzi Mandela, South Africa's ambassador to Denmark and daughter of anti-apartheid leaders Nelson and Winnie Mandela, had tested positive for COVID-19, her son Zondwa Mandela confirmed in a statement to South Africa's public broadcaster, SABC, on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.
According to Zondwa, the family is awaiting full autopsy results to determine the cause of her death, which occurred at a Johannesburg hospital at the age of 59.
President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute to Zindzi Mandela, describing her as someone who brought home the 'inhumanity' of the apartheid system and the citizens' fight for freedom, as stated in a statement released by his office on Monday, July 13, 2020.
The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation also mourned her passing, saying she was 'regarded by many as a child of the nation,' and her death meant 'South Africa loses an important generational link connecting our divided history to the promise of a better, more inclusive, tomorrow.'
