After 38 years of marriage, Judge Eloff granted Nelson and Winnie Mandela a divorce. Irreconcilable differences were cited as the reason for the parting. The Mandelas were married in 1958 and only spent a couple of years together before Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison as one of the Rivonia Trialists in 1963. It is believed that the lengthy separation that the couple experienced while Nelson Mandela was incarcerated contributed greatly to the eventual split. Two daughters, Zenani and Zindzi were born from their marriage.
eventREF E-0013248Revised
19 March 1996
Winnie and Nelson Mandela divorce
- Updated
- 30 Sep 2019
How we know this
- 01Daily, S. (1996), South African Judge Gives Nelson Mandela a Divorce, from The New York Times, 20 March [online], Available at www.nytimes.com [Accessed: 08 March 2010]
- 02Block, R. (1996), Mandela: Winnie made me the loneliest man, from The Independent Online, 19 March, [online], Available at independent.co.uk [Accessed: 08 March 2010]
Last updated · 30 Sep 2019
South African History Online. (2011, March 16). Winnie and Nelson Mandela divorce. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013248
South African History Online (2011) 'Winnie and Nelson Mandela divorce', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013248 (Accessed: 13 October 2026).
South African History Online, Winnie and Nelson Mandela divorce [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013248, (accessed 13 October 2026).
"Winnie and Nelson Mandela divorce." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013248. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.
South African History Online. "Winnie and Nelson Mandela divorce." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013248.
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