Zindzi Mandela's family praised for revealing she had Covid-19
AFP
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised the family of the country's first black President Nelson Mandela for revealing that his daughter, Zindzi, who died on Monday, had Covid-19.
The gesture will "encourage acceptance" of those infected, Mr Ramaphosa said.
The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Zindzi was buried on Friday morning alongside her mother, anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Only close friends and relatives attended the funeral service in Johannesburg because of coronavirus restrictions.
South Africa is the African country worst hit by coronavirus, with more than 320,000 cases.
There have been more than 4,600 deaths, and government projections estimate this could rise to 50,000 by the end of the year.
Despite public awareness of how the virus is spread, its symptoms and effects, there have been some reported cases of stigmatisation of those infected.
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What did President Ramaphosa say?
"I would like to thank the Mandela family for the very important gesture of sharing this information with the nation. This is a virus that affects us all, and there should never be any stigma around people who become infected," he tweeted ahead of Zindzi Mandela's funeral.
He added that revealing the cause of her death, was "a final act of solidarity in the life of a woman who devoted her life to the cause of her fellow South Africans."
Ms Mandela had "during our years of struggle brought home the inhumanity of the apartheid system and the unshakeable resolve of our fight for freedom," Mr Ramaphosa said in a statement after her death on Monday.
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