Nelson Mandela's granddaughter dies aged 43

Zoleka Mandela, granddaughter of South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela, has died of cancer at the age of 43.

According to a statement released by the family, Zoleka died after being admitted to hospital on 18 September for ongoing treatment for cancer of the hip, liver, lung, pelvis, brain and spinal cord. She was the granddaughter of Nelson Mandela's second wife, Winnie, and was a proud campaigner on various issues, including cancer. The Nelson Mandela Foundation said her work was inspirational.

The Foundation said that she raised "awareness about cancer prevention" as well as "breaking down the stigma surrounding the disease". Life was not easy for Zoleka who openly shared her struggle with depression and reckoning with being sexually abused as a child. She claimed she was abused "by some of the adults who should have been looking after me." She went on to struggle with alcohol and drug addiction. She also lost two of her children - her 13-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident in 2010 and her son was born prematurely.

Nelson Mandela's granddaughter Zoleka Mandela (Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)