Nelson Mandela’s first wife, Evelyn Mase, passed away on May 30, 1984, at the age of 80. At her Soweto, South Africa, home, she suffered a stroke and passed away.
Mase was created in 1904 in Engcobo, South Africa, as Evelyn Ntoko Mase. In 1944, she first met Nelson Mandela, and the following year, they were wed. Together, they had four children.
Mase became a single mother after Mandela was imprisoned in 1962 for his anti-apartheid activism. She supported her family by working as a nurse. She participated actively in the anti-apartheid campaign and was repeatedly detained.
Despite getting divorced in 1957, Mase and Mandela remained friends. She was a fervent supporter of his endeavors and frequently paid him visits in jail.
Evelyn Mase cause of death: What happened to Nelson Mandela’s first wife?
She died on 30 April 2004, having suffered from a respiratory illness.
Keep reading to explore more about her early life.
Evelyn Mase was born in Engcobo in 1922. Her mother was the second marriage of her father, a miner who had six children total, three of whom perished in infancy. When Mase was still a child, her father passed away.
When Mase was 12 years old, her mother passed away, leaving Sam Mase, her older brother, to take care of her. Sam, a devoted Christian, was good friends with Walter Sisulu, a former classmate; their moms were sisters, therefore they were related.