2010 was a bitter-sweet year for the Mandela family and the rest of South Africa. The year marked Africa’s much-anticipated first-ever FIFA World Cup and also the death of Zoleka Mandela's daughter and Nelson Mandela’s great-granddaughter Zenani Mandela.
Aged only 13, Zenani was killed in a car crash while travelling home from a pre-tournament concert in Soweto where thousands of South Africans gathered to see the likes of The Black Eyed Peas and other superstars.
Zenani, who died two days after her birthday, would’ve been celebrating her 23rd birthday today (9 June 2020). Her amazing mother, Zoleka Mandela took to her social media this morning to wish her angel a happy birthday, writing. “Happy 23rd birthday to my daughter in Heaven.”
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Zenani Mandela was born in Johannesburg at Park Lane Clinic on 9 June 1997. She was daughter to Zoleka Mandela and Casey Moyo and granddaughter to Zindzi Mandela and great-granddaughter of Mam Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and former president Nelson Mandela.
She was in Grade 6 at St Stithians College in Johannesburg where she was a member of the choir, Zenani enjoyed playing the piano and the saxophone. She had dreams of becoming a plastic surgeon and her hobbies included reading and writing.
