Mandela’s eldest son, Thembekile (“Thembi”), died in a car accident. The prison authorities denied Mandela permission to attend the funeral. He was left to grieve and support family members through letters while the state controlled access to his children and relatives. The loss is inseparable from the prison system’s power to dictate the terms of family life for political prisoners.
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What did Mandela do on 20 June 1970?
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Explanation
The Foundation records a letter to Winnie, who was then imprisoned.
Mandela wrote to Winnie while she was also imprisoned in June 1970.
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Explanation
The Foundation’s “On this day” archive dates the letter to 20 June.