SOUTH AFRICA/FILE: Tributes pour in for struggle veteran Albertina Sisulu who has died in Johannesburg at the age of 92

Record ID: 455003

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA/FILE: Tributes pour in for struggle veteran Albertina Sisulu who has died in Johannesburg at the age of 92
  • Date: 4th June 2011
  • Summary: ROBBEN ISLAND, SOUTH AFRICA (FILE) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) RIVONIA TREASON TRIALISTS, INCLUDING NELSON MANDELA AND WALTER SISULU, WALKING IN THE ROBBEN ISLAND QUARRY
  • Embargoed: 19th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Obituaries,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1GTP3OHY48Q522QN6KMD19HFF
  • Story Text: Friends and family flocked to the Linden neighbourhood of Johannesburg after South Africa struggle veteran Albertina Sisulu died on Thursday (June 2) at her Linden home in Johannesburg.
    Sisulu, 92, was an important figure in the African National Congress Women's League during the height of apartheid and was the widow of the party's former deputy president Walter Sisulu, one of former President Nelson Mandela's earliest mentors.
    Sisulu was fondly remembered by her friends.
    "Apart from a politician and a comrade she was a friend to everybody. This is a great loss," said Rica Hodgson.
    A special funeral will be held for Sisulu, the government said.
    "We -- the president in consultation with the premier of the province -- have decided to provide the funeral service of mama Sisulu as what we call category 2 F, that is a national special funeral," said Collin Chabane, a minister from the President's office.
    Walter Sisulu spent 25 years imprisoned on Robben Island with Mandela while Albertina was under house arrest and in jail for several months. She was last seen in public in January when she visited Mandela in hospital.
    "Always loving, always very much a people's person, if you ask the people from this street they will attest to that, the door was always open, and there was always something to eat or drink, always hospitable, that was her nature and she maintained it right up to the end," said one of Albertina's sons, Mlungisi Sisulu.
    The Sisulu family are prominent figures in South Africa's political landscape -- daughter Lindiwe Sisulu, is the defence minister and son Max Sisulu is a member of parliament.
    Another daughter Beryl Sisulu is South Africa's ambassador to Norway.
    "It's a sad loss, we've lost a woman of stature, a leader in her own right, a mother, a person who looked after all her siblings and made sure that she takes care of all her her family members without any choice or doubt of being a responsible elder sister," said the Gauteng premier Nomvula Mkonyane.
    Albertina Sisulu also served in parliament, taking a seat after the first all-race elections in 1994, serving four years.
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