Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter Zoleka succumbs to cancer at 43

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – Zoleka Mandela, a granddaughter of global icon Nelson Mandela, has succumbed to cancer at the age of 43, a family spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Zwelabo Mandela said Zoleka passed away on Monday evening a week after she was admitted to a hospital for ongoing cancer treatment.

“Recent scans revealed significant disease progression including fibrosis in the lungs, as well as several emboli,” the statement said, meaning the cancerous cells had spread throughout the body.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago and received treatment but the cancer later returned.

Zoleka was a granddaughter of Nelson Mandela who spent 27 years in prison for opposing the apartheid regime in South Africa. He later became the country’s first democratically elected president in 1994.

Mandela preached reconciliation and forgiveness to unite all racial groups in South Africa and his leadership approach and ability to bring everyone together won him global admiration and the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize.