Abstract
This article examines the Twitter feed of @WinnieMandela (purportedly the official profile of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela), in particular the trend that sees iconic portraits of her being shared by her admirers on meaningful days, such as her birthday. A notable practice on the feed is the regular sharing of historical images of Madikizela-Mandela, tweeted by some of her 69,000 followers, often on her birthday. Juxtaposing these images are current photos tweeted from her own account as well as those shared by fans who meet her and take pictures together. The article presents a visual typology of the narratives of womanly identity that are captured in the historical portraits of Madikizela-Mandela that fans share. The analysis is contextualized within scholarship on gender and politics, the representation of women politicians in the media, and the use of social media by politicians. The article theorizes the fan photo-sharing on Winnie Mandela’s Twitter feed as a process that partially constructs her public image in opposition to negative mainstream media coverage. It concludes by reflecting on what an attachment to nostalgic images of Winnie Mandela mean in the current moment in South African politics, as well in relation to communication on social media.
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