Zoleka Mandela, the author, activist, and mother, carefully planned her funeral guest list before she passed away on September 25th after an 11-year battle with metastatic cancer that affected her hip, liver, lung, pelvis, brain, and spinal cord.
Her funeral service was a private gathering for close family and friends at Bryanston Methodist Church, followed by her burial at Fourways Memorial Park, where she joined her late children, mother, and grandmother, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
In her diary, Zoleka specified the people she did not want at her funeral or near her body. This list included Thiery Bashala, the father of her two children, and Leeroy Andie Cana, the father of her youngest child, Zingce. She also mentioned individuals from the Mandela and Madikizela family, such as Zenani Mandela Snr, Mandla Mandela, Zukiswa Madikizela, Nsundu Madikizela, and Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo.
Before her passing, Zoleka had prepared for her death by having discussions with her family, a lawyer, and a therapist about her children’s future. She wanted to ensure their well-being and didn’t want to burden her siblings after her passing.
Zoleka’s life was marked by challenges, including her breast cancer diagnosis at 32, a double mastectomy, the loss of her daughter Zenani in a car accident during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the premature birth and loss of her newborn son Zenawe in 2011, and her divorce from Thierry Bashala in 2020. In 2020, she found love with painter Andile Cana and welcomed her youngest daughter, Zingce, in 2023.
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