Nelson Mandela moved to this Soweto home with his first wife, Evelyn Ntoko Mase, in 1946. After their divorce, Mandela stayed at the residence and was joined by Winnie Madikizela in 1958. Winnie remained in the home, with the children, while Mandela was incarcerated, and until she herself was exiled from Soweto and put on house arrest in Brandfort. The home, however remained in the family until 1996, when it then became a public museum.
At the museum, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela describes the history and significance of the home (in an audio-recording), including the act of burying the umbilical cords of her children (and grandchildren) in the yard under a tree, (reminding me of what I've done with my own children's cords) - a tradition that ties new generations to their ancestors and their land.
source: www.mandelahouse.com/history.asp
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