Who are Zokela Mandela’s parents? How many siblings does Zokela Mandela have? We are diving into the family life of South African poet and activist, Zokela Mandela.
In an earlier post shared on thedistin.com, we explored the love life of Zokela Mandela and shared in-depth details of her ex-husband, Thierry Bashala, her ex-boyfriend, Andile Cana and the six children she has.
The granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, Zokela, was reported earlier in the day to have passed away after many years of battle with cancer.
Her death left her family and loved ones in despair. Many took to social media to pay tributes to the poet and activist.
Following this sad incident, we are exploring the family life of Zokela Mandela and sharing with you who her parents are and how many siblings she has.
Who are Zokela Mandela’s parents?
Zokela Mandela was the daughter of Zindziswa Mandela and Zwelibanzi Hlongwane. She was born on 9th April 1980.
On the day her parents got married, her grandfather, Nelson Mandela, walked her mother down the aisle.
The family of Zokele are direct descendants of King Madiba of the Thembu people. The marriage between her parents unfortunately did not last.
Her mother, Zindziswa Mandela divorced her husband, Zwelibanzi.
Who is Zindziswa Mandela?
Zindziswa Mandela was the daughter of the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, and the mother of Zokela Mandela.
She was born on 23 December 1960 in Soweto. Zokela’s mother was only 18 months old when her father, Nelson Mandela was sent to prison.
She spent most of her youthful days in the care of her elderly sister, Zenani Mandela. This was because her mother was also sent to prison.
Her mother in 1977 was banished from the Orange Free State. During that time Zindziswa was with her mother. This affected her education as she was not able to complete her education until she went o Swaziland.
Eventually, her mother was allowed back to Soweto and her father, Nelson Mandela, was released as well.
She served as a stand-in First Lady of South Africa from 1996 until 1998, between her parents’ divorce and her father’s remarriage, to Graça Machel.
Zokela’s mother had been married twice. She got married to Zokela’s father Zwelibanzi Hlongwan. With her first husband, she had Zokela and three sons; Zondwa Mandela, Bambatha Mandela and Zwelabo Mandela.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out between them as such they divorced. In March 2013, Zindziswa got married again to Molapo Motlhajwa.
In 2020, Zokela’s mother sadly passed at the age of 59 in a hospital in Johannesburg. Per reports, she had tested positive for COVID-19 on the day of her death.
However, upon an autopsy report, the virus was not the cause of her death. Zindziswa was buried near her mother, Winnie.
Who is Zwelibanzi Hlongwa?
Zwelibanzi Hlongwan is the father of Zokela Mandela. He got married to Zokela’s mother, Zindziswa. He had four children with Zindziswa Mandela.
Sadly, their marriage didn’t last as Zindziswa divorced him to marry another man in 2013. Here is the little information we have gathered on Zokela’s father.
How many siblings does Zokela Mandela have?
Zokela Mandela has three siblings. She has three brothers namely; Zondwa Mandela, Bambatha Mandela and Zwelabo Mandela.
Her young brother Zondwa Mandela is the Chairman of the Mandela Legacy Foundation. Aside from that, there is little information about her brothers. They seem to have kept their private life from the public eye.