Nkosikazi Nobandle Nomzamo Madikizela known as Winnie Mandela . South African politician who held government positions and was leader of the National Women’s Congress of the League of Africa (CNA).
Summary of Winnie Mandela
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- 1 Biographical synthesis
- 1 Fight against apartheid
- 2 Political life
- 3 Accusations
- 2 See also
- 3 References
- 4 Sources
Biographical synthesis
Born 26 as September as 1936 , in Bizana , South Africa . She met Nelson Mandela in 1956 , whom she married in 1958 .
Fight apartheid
She was considered a symbol of the struggle against apartheid , belonged to the Women’s League of the African National Congress and after her husband’s imprisonment in 1963, she was forced to leave Johannesburg . Confined within her home, she was also forbidden to meet with more than one person and for her name or photograph to appear in any media.
Following her husband’s release in 1990 , she was charged with violent acts against ANC supporters. He spent 17 months in jail from 1969 to 1970 and 6 months between 1974 and 1975 .
Banished in the village of Brandfort from 1977 to 1985 . He played an active role in the ANC, especially in the black neighborhood of Soweto, a concentration of slums plagued by hunger and disease, and although he was prohibited from participating in public events, he ignored such order, participating in rallies that drew large crowds. of 40,000 people.
During the 1980s – 90s , Winnie used the profile of Nelson Mandela to spread to the South African community and to the world, the brutality of the apartheid system. The 13 of April of 1986 , the reputation of Nelson Mandela was damaged in a speech he gave in Munsieville where he urged the practice of necklacing (burning people alive by using tires and petrol) in the struggle to end apartheid .
In 1992 she separated from Nelson Mandela, divorcing in 1996
Political life
Despite being married to Nelson Mandela in May 1994 , she was not considered the first lady of South Africa, as the couple had separated two years earlier after it was revealed that Winnie had been unfaithful during Nelson’s long sentence.
For decades, the struggle of women against the South African regime of “apartheid” was as important as that of men. In this fight, Winnie was a national and international symbol.
She was appointed Minister of Art, Culture, Science and Technology of the first multiracial government headed by her husband in 1994 . In 1995 she was removed from the government due to allegations of fraud. In March 2009, Winnie Mandela was able to run for the general election as an ANC candidate, despite having a conviction for fraud.
At the age of 68, he graduated from Wits University in Johannesburg, the most important in South Africa. [1]
In June of 2010 , Winnie was treated for shock after the death of her great – granddaughter, Zenani [2] , who died in a car accident on the eve of the opening of the World Cup of FIFA .
Accusations
While her followers call her ” Mother of the Nation “, others accuse her of participating in human rights abuses.
Charged with ordering the kidnapping and murder of 14-year-old James Seipei (also known as Stompie Moeketsi) and three other youths whom she “freed” from the home of Methodist minister Paul Verryn. Mrs. Mandela claimed that she took the young men home because she suspected that the reverend intended to sexually abuse them.
Found politically and morally guilty of massive human rights violation in the South African States Final Report (1998), the appeal reduced the six-year prison sentence to a fine.
In April of 2003 Winnie again appeared in court and was sentenced to five years in prison for fraud, although the sentence was later reduced to three and a half years and its implementation was put on hold. After that process, she resigned her seat as a member of parliament and left the presidency of the Women’s League of the ruling party.
