On Friday, friends and family congregated at the Bryanston Methodist Church to send-off author and activist Zoleka Mandela. The 43-year-old passed away on Monday, surrounded by her loved ones, after a prolonged battle with metastatic cancer. This was confirmed in an official statement from her family.
Zoleka Mandela send-off in A Private Funeral
Zoleka, a two-time breast cancer survivor, openly shared her life and cancer journey in her book “When Hope Whispers” and on social media. The funeral service was private, with the church doors closed to the media and the public.
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A Life Marked by Resilience
Zoleka, the granddaughter of struggle stalwarts Nelson and Winnie Mandela, was first diagnosed with hormone-positive breast cancer in 2012. She faced the disease again in 2016 and underwent chemotherapy treatment, which she completed in 2017.
Before her recent diagnosis, Zoleka had been cancer-free for 10 years. Despite this, she acknowledged last year that her battle with cancer was far from over. Her life and struggle serve as a testament to her resilience and strength.