Graça Machel is a politician and humanitarian from Mozambique who was born on October 17, 1945. She is the widow of Nelson Mandela (1998–2013), the former president of South Africa, and Samora Machel, the former president of Mozambique (1975–1986).
Machel, a global champion of women’s and children’s rights, was appointed an honorary British Dame in 1997 by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of her humanitarian efforts. She is the only woman in contemporary history to have held the positions of First Lady of Mozambique and South Africa.
Who is Nelson Mandela’s third wife Graça Machel?
In 1945, Graça Simbine gave birth to Machel in Gaza Province, Mozambique. She received her education in Mozambique and Portugal before working as a teacher and then as a nurse. She joined the guerrilla group FRELIMO, which was fighting against Portuguese colonial control, in 1973.
Machel was named Minister of Education and Culture in 1975, following Mozambique’s declaration of independence. Till 1989, she held this role. President Samora Machel, her husband, perished in a plane disaster in 1986.
