Celeb Twitter Round-Up: Rest in Peace, Zoleka Mandela
Writer, activist, and cancer survivor Zoleka Mandela has passed away at the age of 43 following another brutal battle with the illness.
It was in August last year when Mandela – who was treated for breast cancer in 2011, and again in 2016 – revealed that she was suffering from bone metastasis, a form of cancer which sees cancer cells spreading to the bones. Although treatments are available in order to provide relief to the sufferer, there is no cure for the disease at this time.
Fast-forward to Monday, 25 September: in a statement released by her family, after a week-long stay at a local hospital, it was announced she had passed away.
“Recent scans revealed significant disease progression including fibrosis in the lungs as well as several emboli,” the statement reads. “Zoleka passed away on the evening of Monday surrounded by friends and family. Our sincerest gratitude to the medical team that took care of her.”
The grand-daughter of political icons Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Zoleka previously struggled with alcohol and substance addictions, plus she lost her daughter Zenani in 2010 following a fatal car crash.
She dedicated herself to campaigning against deaths caused by road accidents, plus she opened the lid on her experiences with breast cancer in her 2013 autobiography, “When Hope Whispers”.
Following Zoleka’s death, Twitter/X was thrown into mourning. They paid tribute to her, as well as the women close to her: her grandmother Winnie, her mother Zindzi and her daughter Zenani:
Many spared a thought for Zoleka’s children:
@nozi73 shared how Zoleka’s book gave them insight into their father’s experience with cancer:
Rest in peace and power, Zoleka Mandela – may your spirit find harmony and comfort.
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