WINNIE MADIKIZEL MANDELA: AN AMAZING AMAZONIAN BOWS OUT.

ICHEOKU says as with every mortal, a necessary end always comes when it will come; and so has it ended for the woman who gave African women and women world wide an unquenchable pride of place in the society. A champion of the political struggle that ended apartheid South Africa. A woman who actually gave the "stand by your man" saying its rightful verve. The African lioness, the indomitable and imitable Winnie Madikizela Mandela is dead. She  was 81 years old and died, relatively of good old age, of infirmities of the aged. 

But as mark Anthony would say of Julius Caesar, ICHEOKU is not here to dwell on or drool about the inevitable end of a very accomplished human being. ICHEOKU is here to celebrate a legend for a life well lived and in the real sense of it; selflessly and in the service of humanity, particularly the people of South Africa. She was a towering figure; a giant without whose contributions, South Africa would probably still be under the repressive white minority apartheid regime. She was fearless; she was indomitable; she was charismatic; she was charming, beautiful and vivacious; she was elegant; she had a commanding presence; she had a disarming smile; she had poise and she had panache; she was courageous; she was resolute; she was unwavering; she was defiant and she never cowered.  She was a strong woman and she never flinched. Simply put, she was a quintessential woman, a pride of womanhood. 

Fortunately for her and unlike so many other freedom fighters the world over, she won her struggle and lived and died in a freed South Africa controlled by majority black people. She was armed with her abiding conviction that apartheid was wrong and must be fought to a crushing defeat and threw her hat into the gauntlet and she won. She stood steadfast right through to the very end; first conquering apartheid and then conquering our hearts, especially millions of Africans who affectionately called her Mama Africa in jaw dropping awe and admiration. Needless to add that without her support, Nelson Mandel possibly would not have successfully completed his prison term, without knowing that an assured hand was holding forte at the home front and keeping the cause of the struggle in the front burner. They also tried to break her will severally, using the law and justice system, including an over one year in detention, majority of which were in solitary confinement; but her will to see good trump over evil prevailed and they failed in their mission to crush her resolve. 

For the over two decades plus Nelson Mandela was incarcerated, she remained committed to him and despite that she could have so easily married off, refused; and instead, became married to the struggle and waited for her man to come back home and she succeeded. She was a giant. She stood tall in the pantheon of her fellow giants, alongside who, she walked the talk of freedom for South Africa. She refused to be intimidated; she refused to be crest fallen and she refused to denounce her cause, no matter what they threw at her.  She had a core; she had character and above all she had conviction. Her cause was good, just and righteous; and her cause was for her South African people to be freed from the repressive, mean spirited, albeit wicked bondage of a white minority apartheid regime.  A most vile; most racist; most evil; most horrendous; most heartless; most inhumane; and most everything ugly and venomous apartheid government the entire world ever known; second only to Nazi Germany, if not worse. 

ICHEOKU says Mama Africa Winnie Madikileza Mandela is a truism that behind a successful man called Nelson Mandela was in fact a woman called Winnie Madikileza Mandela. They do not make her kind anymore and not so easily. In fact she was an epitome of everything good about womanhood and she was the best of her kind that came through South Africa during the trying times of white minority apartheid government of South Africa. Mama Africa, ICHEOKU says you fought the good fight. You came, you saw and you conquered; the white minority apartheid government, that is. You also won millions of doting hearts. Go in peace and know that millions of women worldwide were inspired by you and that millions of South Africans owe to you a debt of their immeasurable gratitude for the selfless sacrifices which you made on their behalf and which eventually helped purchase the liberty and freedom which they enjoy today, from those very ugly, mean and heartless apartheid oppressors of then white minority controlled South Africa. Say hello to Nelson. Adieu African Queen Mother.