81-Year-Old Winnie Mandela Undergoes Surgery

South African anti-apartheid veteran Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, ex-wife of the late President Nelson Mandela, is “in high spirits” after being admitted to hospital for minor surgery, her spokesman has said.

Victor Dlamini said in a statement the 81-year-old former first lady was admitted to hospital on Tuesday for minor surgery on her knee and doctors had decided to keep her in for the next two weeks as she recovers.

“I visited her at the hospital this afternoon and she was in high spirits,” Dlamini said yesterday.

“In our conversation (she) said that her health problems go back to the time when she was banished
to Brandfort by the apartheid government and during this period her knee first gave her trouble.”


Madikizela-Mandela spent several weeks in hospital last year for back surgery.