Your considerable and historic legacy will enduringly live on, Mama Winnie Mandela!

By Stanley Collymore,

You were a resolute and steadfast beacon of illumination,

inspiration, consolation and unchanging reassurance

during those hideously barbaric years of apartheid

attendant with their premeditatedly conceived

and inhumanly inflicted atrocities directly

associated, not only with the iniquities

of apartheid itself but also the barbarous policies of

Black subjugation virulently and malevolently

attested through the intensely implemented

disadvantages of social, economic and

academic exclusion but additionally

and rather significantly as well,

political disenfranchisement.

Calculatedly created and insidiously established

encumbrances that purposely and effectively

constrained and inescapably killed off all

perceptibly pragmatic hopes of Black

societal emancipation and political

empowerment stone cold dead.

But you Mama Winnie: a formidable, relentless

and successful fighter against these callously

devised, spitefully enduring and rigorously

performed injustices, inspirationally and

coherently imbued in the rest of us, the

matching persistence and unwavering

steadfastness abounding in yourself

to carry on regardless, in our joint

fight against the overabundance

of social and human injustices

that our Black Race, not only

presently but unremittingly

for several centuries now

has also been intensely,

injuriously and rather

cold-heartedly been

evilly subjected to.

And although this uncompromising and committed

war for our unquestionable human rights, social

entitlements and characteristic self-esteem as

fellow human beings isn’t at all universally

recognized let alone supportively aided

by others or, for our part, completely

gained entirely on our struggles – nevertheless

thanks tremendously to you, Mama Winnie

and your most efficacious combat against

apartheid - our own distinctive battles

for unresolved justice and equality

will assuredly and unremittingly

carry on, until the day of our

triumphant and deserving

freedom finally dawns.

© Stanley V. Collymore

20 April 2018.

Author’s Comments:

Hail to you Winnie Madikzela Mandela! A stalwart and courageous warrior for Black dignity and our malevolently trampled on sensitivities. A liberator of everything good within our Black race and an outstandingly commendable and inspirational creator of a legacy that will enduringly live on in the hearts and minds not only of those who were fortunate to know you and likewise observe your struggle while you were living amongst us, but will also carry on as a highly illuminating beacon for countless future generations of Black people and genuinely emancipated women across Africa, throughout its global Diaspora and the rest of humanity.

Therefore, now that your admirable and successful work on earth is completed rest, dear and sweet Lady, deservingly in eternal peace together with your Almighty and benevolent Creator and the Heavenly host of Angels of which you yourself are now one of them. And in bidding you a fond farewell, but most definitely no goodbye, I earnestly look forward to the glorious and the most rewarding opportunity of meeting up with you again in person in eternity. God Bless you Mama Winnie Mandela and especially on earth our still subjugated Black Race – Amandla Awetu!