She has been journaling her different life journeys for years.
She shared surviving cancer twice with her social media followers, spoke openly about beating drug addiction and alcoholism, and spoke candidly about losing her two children Zenani and Zenawe, who died a year apart.
In 2013, she published her autobiography, When Hope Whispers talking about her personal struggles.
Zoleka Mandela (41), the grandchild of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela Mandela, has proudly announced that more copies of her book will be available for sale where people can read about her life.
“Proud to announce that I’ll resume orders as well as deliveries of my autobiography When Hope Whispers as of tomorrow!” she said on social media
At the end of 2021, Zoleka announced her sixth pregnancy with baby Zingce.
“Dear Diary, so like, I thought I had food poisoning, turns out I was pregnant with my 6th child,” she shared on social media with her followers. But has not yet shared the details of the father of her child and whether she and the mystery man she had been dating are still together.
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She did however highlight that she is “very single” and decided to stay single.
“Dear Diary, in 2023 and not this year because I’m giving birth to my very last baby for the rest of my life. I’m serious, it’s not funny and I don’t know why you’re laughing about it! Anyway, as I was saying, by the time I turn 43 in April 2023, I’m going to look and feel even better than what I looked like in this video (where I made the decision to be very single). I took in 2020, dawg. I also don’t want a man in my life because the moment I fall in love, weight gain, and pregnancy same time, my n*gga! I just don’t know how I’m going to cope without the sexual benefits of having a man because I don’t want the relationship per se, but I want the part where he comes over when I tell him to; without him spending the night, without him being with anyone else or bothering me with feelings because that’s just not in my DNA anymore,” she adds.
But she is attending therapy and dealing with her issues.
“I’m in therapy for this because the therapist says I clearly have so many issues to work through because just WTF is wrong with me?”
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Being from a family of prominence does not exempt her from attracting what she calls “broke” men.
“Dear Diary, you won’t believe what happened today? Let me say this first … Adulthood sucks because you don’t necessarily get a standing ovation for doing adult things that you’re supposed to be doing anyway!” she wrote.
“I do not have a husband or a man in my life who takes care of me financially and I have never had one in the past either. I make my own money and pay my own bills. Let’s get this straight right now. All this you’re seeing is me, I Zoleka, a very single, independent, strong, 41-year-old mother of six.”
After she announced her divorce to Thierry Bashala, Zoleka moved out of her marital home into a smaller home with her children, and after almost a year she has found a bigger house for her family.
"I got the keys to my new home, my new nest, me, Zoleka - A Black Queen who is everything she thinks she is and more. I give myself a standing ovation because I am the shit. Here is to yet another, intentional and much-awaited chapter in my life.”
Zoleka says she is happier than ever and is enjoying her pregnancy.
“For the first time in all my 41 years, sitting in the office of my Psychiatrist; I wasn’t heartbroken, or sad or angry at anyone. I wasn’t depressed, falling apart, or wanting to kill myself because, for the first time in my life, I’m actually happy,” she wrote.
"I’m living life on my own terms. I mind my own business. I’m in an incredibly good space and I’m the woman I’ve always wanted to be, clean and sober, independent, a hands-on type of mother, someone who’s emotionally and financially stable. Someone who’s just happy to be who they are, how they are - themselves (all the damn time and no matter who thinks or says what). Someone unashamedly and intentionally themselves. Hello, Zoleka. It’s finally nice to meet you, Queen!” Zoleka says she will however continue to see her therapist.
“She wants to see me again in two months, being someone who’s suffered Post Natal Depression in the past. I have my session with my Addiction Counsellor this week, it’s also pre-scheduled - I’m adulting. I’m grown and still honour my appointments even though there is zero crisis or drama or whatever bullshit I’ve been dealt with in the past - some of which is self-inflicted because I typically sabotage my happiness.”
