Mandela's granddaughter Zoleka dies at 43. Her life was full of tragedy but she embraced his legacy
Nelson Mandela's granddaughter Zoleka has died at age 43 CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Zoleka Mandela, a grand daughter of Nelson Mandela and whose life was tangled up in addiction, a suicide attempt, a battle with cancer and the tragedy of losing two young children before she came back from the shadows to embrace his legacy , has died. She was 43. Her death on Monday was announced by the Mandela family in a statement on Tuesday. The breast cancer she had fought for years had been in remission. But she was later diagnosed with cancer in her liver and lungs and it had metastasized and spread, her family said. The Nelson Mandela Foundation, which promotes the legacy of the South African statesman who died in 2013, said it mourned Zoleka Mandela's death and offered its condolences to her family. It said she was a “beloved grandchild" to Nelson Mandela and praised her work raising awareness for cancer and her role as an inspiration to those affected by the disease and to thos...