Zindzi Mandela, the youngest daughter of South Africa’s first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, has been buried at a private funeral.

Zindzi, who was buried on Friday, died at the age of 59 earlier this week.

Zindzi Mandela

She was South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark at the time of her death, which coincided with the anniversary of a car crash that claimed the life of his first son, 51 years earlier.

According to the family, she had tested positive for coronavirus on the day she died on Monday, but they were still awaiting post-mortem results.

In a eulogy at a virtual memorial Thursday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa thanked the Mandela family for “the very important gesture of sharing this information with the nation”.

“In doing so you are helping to encourage social acceptance for sufferers.”

“This is a virus that affects us all, and there should never be any stigma around people who become infected,” said Ramaphosa.

Zindzi was buried next to her mother — who died two years ago — at a cemetery in Fourways, a northern suburb of Johannesburg.