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Well-known activist Zoleka Mandela, granddaughter of former South African President and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, recently passed away on September 25, 2023, at 43. Zoleka battled cancer for 11 years, which eventually led to her demise.
Zoleka's family spokesperson, Zwelabo Mandela, shared a statement on the Mandel Legacy Foundation and Zoleka's Instagram pages,
"On Monday, September 18th, Zoleka Mandela was admitted into hospital for ongoing treatment for metastatic cancer to the hip, liver, lung, pelvis, brain and spinal cord. Recent scans revealed significant disease progression including fibrosis in the lungs as well as several emboli."
The statement continues,
"Zoleka passed away on the evening of Monday, September 25th, surrounded by friends and family. Our sincerest gratitude to the medical team that took care of her."
Zoleka Mandela was a mother of two children from her marriage to Thierry Bashala
Zoleka Mandela never revealed a lot of details about her personal life. According to GH Gossip, Zoleka was married to Congolese business executive Thierry Bashala.
The duo first met 2012 at a clothing store and planned to tie the knot in 2014. Before their marriage, Zoleka and Thierry became the parents of two children. Zoleka had three more children who were born from a previous relationship.
In 2020, Zoleka decided to end the marriage, and she also shared a social media post that stated,
"I have left someone that I once loved for eight whole years because I need to learn to be alone, to work on myself harder than in any other relationship, to recognize and accept my weaknesses, forgive myself, and finally celebrate my freedom."
One of Zoleka's daughters, Zenani, passed away in 2010 after meeting with an accident. Times Live said that Zenani was returning home from the 2010 Soccer World Cup opening ceremony when the accident happened. She was 13 years old at the time of death. Zoleka later paid tribute to Zenani in 2016 through social media and wrote:
"On the anniversary of my daughter's passing. Heart's in pieces, biggest one's gone with her. My Best Friend Zenani."
Zoleka Mandela struggled with cancer for a long time
According to NBC News, Zoleka Mandela was diagnosed with breast cancer after Zenani's death. She had to undergo a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, which led to the death of a son in 2011 who was born prematurely.
BBC News states that she was 32 years old when she contracted breast cancer, and although she was slowly recovering, the cancer returned in 2016. The cancer began to spread to the rest of her organs by 2022, and she was hospitalized a week ago.
Her book When Hope Whispers revealed that she attempted suicide after Zenani's death. The book even spoke of her battle with drug and alcohol addiction. She was also a victim of s*xual abuse when she was a child.
Zoleka was born to Zwelibanzi Hlongwane and Zindzi Mandela. Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela were her grandparents.
