Rep. Maxine Waters remembers ‘unwavering’ Winnie Mandela

The California congresswoman recalled the struggle against apartheid with her "dear friend"

Apr 3, 2018

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California congresswoman Maxine Waters shared the feeling of millions around the world following the death of Winnie Mandela on Monday.

Rep. Waters tweeted her condolences on Monday afternoon.

Today I mourn the loss of my dear friend & one of the greatest leaders & activists in the world: Winnie Mandela. I worked w/ her on the release of N. Mandela & to end apartheid in South Africa. We should all pay tribute to Winnie’s persistence in the face of injustice & racism.

— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) April 2, 2018

She later went on to say that she was inspired by Mandela’s courage and spoke of how much of an influence Mandela was on her work in public service.

“I am among the generation of anti-apartheid activists who were inspired by Winnie Mandela’s courage, dedication and wisdom,” Waters said in a statement on Monday. “I was one of the national leaders in the Free South Africa Movement, and I still consider my work in the California State Assembly, where I authored the legislation that divested California state pension funds from South African businesses, as one of the defining moments of my life and career.

Waters was a part of the welcome committee in Los Angeles when Nelson Mandela made his tour around the U.S. following his release from prison in 1990. Mandela’s tour packed major venues across the nation, including putting more than 90,000 people in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

“I chaired the Los Angles welcome committee, and I helped organize a concert and rally that filled the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to capacity,” Waters said. “Despite controversies surrounding her life and career, Winnie Mandela’s unwavering commitment to ending apartheid and securing Nelson Mandela’s freedom is recorded in history.

“She will forever be remembered as one of the world’s most courageous leaders and heroes. I join the world in offering my sincere condolences to her two daughters, Zenani and Zindziswa Mandela, her relatives, friends, and the people of South Africa.”