by Krystal Franklin

April 2, 2018

Photo by MUJAHID SAFODIEN/AFP/Getty Images

Winnie Madikizela Mandela, the former wife of South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela, has died at the age of 81.

The Mandelas were a symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle for nearly three decades. They divorced in 1996 after 37 years of marriage.

While Winnie is credited for her activism, her reputation became tainted legally and politically. According to the Times Live, “in 1991‚ she was convicted of kidnapping and being an accessory to assault of Stompie Seipei‚ a young activist who was killed by a member of her bodyguards‚ the Mandela United Football Club.”

There is no word on the cause of death just yet, but a statement is expected to be released later today.

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