South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has thanked the Mandela family for disclosing that Zindzi Mandela, the youngest daughter of anti-apartheid icons Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, had tested positive for Covid-19.
He said the disclosure was important to show that there should not be stigma for those who become infected with the virus.
In his tribute during a virtual memorial service on Thursday, Mr Ramaphosa said the gesture by the family was “final act of solidarity in the life of a woman who devoted her life to the cause of her fellow South Africans”.
“In doing so you are helping to encourage social acceptance for [Covid-19] sufferers,” he added.
Zindzi Mandela died in a Johannesburg hospital on Monday.
Her son, Zondwa Mandela, disclosed that she tested positive for Covid-19 on the day she died, though it was not clear if the disease caused the death.
She is being buried on Friday next to her mother at the Fourways Memorial Park in Johannesburg.
I would like to thank the Mandela family for the very important gesture of sharing this information with the nation. This is a virus that affects us all, and there should never be any stigma around people who become infected.
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) July 16, 2020
Source: BBC
