Winnie: I was betrayed
2003-04-27 07:58
Johannesburg - "I was betrayed by my comrades I had helped put in power."
This is what former ANC Women's League president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said on Saturday - one day after her conviction on 43 counts of fraud involving loans she arranged through Saambou Bank.
In an exclusive interview with City Press, Madikizela-Mandela claimed her sentence appears to have been decided by national director of public prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka, and Justice Minister Penuell Maduna.
She said she and her counsel were stunned on Thursday during the proceedings when prosecutor Jan Ferreira allegedly approached the magistrate and the defence to request that sentence be delayed for Friday so he could consult Ngcuka.
Madikizela-Mandela, who appeared bitter but composed, said the thought of her being sentenced two days before Freedom Day brought back memories of her struggle with the apartheid police who detained her and banished her to Brandfort.
"I had no doubt in my mind the decision to consult Ngcuka, who will then communicate with Maduna, demonstrated my sentence was not going to be decided by the court. There is no doubt my sentence was decided by Ngcuka and Maduna," claimed Madikizela-Mandela.
Case bigger than she imagined
She said until that moment, she had not taken the decision to quit all her political positions.
The prosecutor's action, she said, demonstrated to her that her case was bigger than she imagined.
However, her allegation about the prosecutor's action could not be verified with her legal counsel or the prosecutor himself.
"I decided I should resign from all my political activities when the white prosecutor said he was going to consult Ngcuka and Maduna. I don't think the prosecutor thought of what he was saying. Maybe it was a slip on his part. I considered this the worst form of betrayal - that my fate lay with people who I had worked hard to put in power."
Justice ministry spokesperson Paul Setsetse emphatically denied both Ngcuka and Maduna had anything to do with the sentencing.
"All decisions of sentencing are taken by the magistrates and judges independently of the government. They don't consult government or anybody.
"Prosecutors are merely there to argue the case for the state. Any decision of sentencing is left with the relevant magistrate or judge."
Setsetse said the allegations against Maduna and Ngcuka were dangerous as they cast doubts on the independence of the judiciary.
"The minister did not know anything about this and was shocked and disappointed when he learned during the day on Friday that she was given a jail sentence."
No ANC leaders in sight
During the interview, Madikizela-Mandela's Orlando West house resembled a mini-rally or concert of celebration as her children, grandchildren and hundreds of African-Americans came by to offer her support.
The African-Americans, mostly from New York and including members of US black radio stations, pledged to mobilise material and financial support to help her.
There was no sight of ANC leaders at her house.
Madikizela-Mandela claimed there was no doubt her case had all the hallmarks of a crusade targeting her political career.
"There is nothing new in this judgment. It follows the political pattern that was started during the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission ahead of the ANC national conference in Mafikeng.
"What messed up this case was my injury last year. It was hoped it would be finalised before the ANC held its national conference in Stellenbosch.
'Apartheid still rules'
"The whole idea was to ensure I do not stand for any elective position during the conference if I was found guilty before it was held," she claimed.
She launched a scathing attack on SA's judicial system for allowing her to be tried by a white prosecutor and a white magistrate, and even investigated by whites.
"Apartheid and racism still rule in South Africa. What happened mirrors the same courts which I had to face in the past during the apartheid days."
Not one to mince her words, Madikizela-Mandela further lambasted the recent decision by President Thabo Mbeki to offer R30 000 in reparation for apartheid victims, saying it was an insult to those who had suffered.
"Although we cannot put a monetary value on suffering, if we are going to pay, let us not insult the victims. What this country needs to do is to seriously look at the return of the land so the landless can have shelter. This country is going to face more difficulties if it does not address this question."