Brandfort, officially renamed Winnie Mandela in 2021, is a small agricultural town in the central Free State province of South Africa, about 60 km northeast of Bloemfontein on the R30 road. The town serves the surrounding farms for supplies and amenities. It is well known for once being home to the anti-apartheid stalwart and wife of Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, during her banishment.
Brandfort concentration camp
Angel statue in front of Dutch Reformed Church in Brandfort
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist, convicted kidnapper, politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She served as a Member of Parliament from 1994 to 2003, and from 2009 until her death, and was a deputy minister of arts and culture from 1994 to 1996. A member of the African National Congress (ANC) political party, she served on the ANC's National Executive Committee and headed its Women's League. Madikizela-Mandela was known to her supporters as the "Mother of the Nation".
Mandela in 1996
Winnie Mandela with Nelson Mandela, Alberto Chissano and his daughter Cidalia in Museu Galeria Chissano, Mozambique, 1990
Madikizela-Mandela in 2008
Flag at half-staff at the residence of the South African ambassador in Tokyo on 4 April 2018