‘Anti-apartheid’ church to hold memorial service for Winnie Mandela

Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Johannesburg’s Soweto area will host a service for Ms Madikizela-Mandela on 11th April.

The plans for the service come as South Africa declared ten days of national mourning for the anti-apartheid activist and ex-wife of Nelson Mandela who died after a long illness.

The office of President Cyril Ramaphosa also announced a “special official” funeral with military honours will take place at Orlando Stadium in Soweto three days later.

Ms Madikizela-Mandela’s house in Soweto has been visited by mourners since she died on Monday aged 81.

Women’s league members from South Africa’s ruling party sang outside the home on Tuesday and Julius Malema, an opposition leader, spoke to a crowd of supporters, saying South Africans must “bid farewell to a giant”.

People gather outside the family home of the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, in Soweto, South Africa, Tuesday, April 3, 2018

The South African flag will fly at half-mast at official locations and at South African diplomatic missions abroad during the mourning period, which will end on April 14, according to Mr Ramaphosa’s office.

Ms Madikizela-Mandela was persecuted by the apartheid government, and venerated by many South Africans, because of her activism against white minority rule.

Her reputation was sullied by scandals, including…