She's always surrounded by family, friends and admirers, but the mother of the nation, Winnie Mandela, reveals she spent 27 years alone and in pain.
The shocking revelation was contained in court papers filed by Ma Winnie last week, where she applies for custody of Nelson Mandela's Qunu home.
"This was the most painful period in my life because I only stayed in the marriage with my husband for less than five years and even in that period, my husband was always in and out of jail or was always out of home pursuing the objectives of the ANC and the national cause," Winnie says of her marriage to Nelson Mandela in the papers.
According to the papers, quoted in Sunday World, Winnie says "I had to endure loneliness for a further period of 27 years as my husband was only released in 1990 from prison. This is an experience that I would never like to see endured by any other woman. Despite the suffering and loneliness, I remained in my marriage taking care of our children, extended family members and other siblings of the family," she wrote.
Sounds like Winnie was so busy looking after other people that no one stopped to give her some love.
Askies, Ma!
*Picture: Elite