Wally Mbhele
With less than a week before Winnie Madikizela-Mandela faces a special Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigative inquiry, it has emerged she is linked to 18 cases of gross human rights violations including abduction, assault and murder.
The subpoena summoning her to the in-camera hearing at a secret venue in Johannesburg next Thursday calls for her to explain her role, if any, in eight murders.
The allegations were presented to Madikizela-Mandelas attorneys and the head of the African National Congresss truth commission desk, Mpumalanga Premier Mathews Phosa, at a meeting this week.
While the head of the commissions investigative unit, Dumisa Ntsebeza, confirmed that Madikizela-Mandelas name has been linked to 18 cases, he refused to divulge details.
But some commission investigators are understood to believe the subpoena reads like fiction and a script for a horror movie.
Some of the incidents Madikizela-Mandela will be questioned about allegedly occurred as far afield as the Eastern Cape.
The closed hearing will be the first time Madikizela-Mandela subjects herself to cross-examination since details of the exploits of the Mandela United Football Club were revealed eight years ago.
As the commission finalised its preparations for the hearing, its investigation team this week interviewed Dr Ebrahim Asvat, brother of the slain Soweto medical practitioner Dr Abu Baker Asvat, who is believed to have told the commission about how police took a register from his brothers house which proved Madikizela- Mandela was not in Brandfort when Stompie Seipei died in December 1987. This was never produced in Madikizela-Mandelas 1991 trial where she was found guilty of kidnapping Seipei.
Asvat is understood to have given commission investigators details of meetings between Madikizela-Mandela and his brother shortly before he was killed, including an argument between them in his brothers surgery.
Abu Baker Asvat, who was Madikizela- Mandelas doctor and a close friend, was shot dead on January 27 1989 by two men who are now serving life terms in prison.
Allegations linking Madikizela-Mandela to the assassination have been made in recent weeks by one of the two assassins, Thulani Dlamini. Another former member of the football club, Katiza Cebekhulu, claims Madikizela-Mandela instructed him to point out Asvats surgery to the killers.
The amnesty seekers say Asvat was killed after he refused to provide Madikizela- Mandela with a false medical certificate to prove allegations of sexual abuse against Cebekhulu.
The slain Soweto doctor had also seen the dying Seipei, whose body was later dumped in the veld after serious injuries were inflicted on him by members of the football club.
Their former coach, Jerry Richardson, who is serving a life sentence for Seipeis murder, has claimed in his application for amnesty that he had killed the boy on orders from Madikizela-Mandela.
At the hearing the commission will ask questions about the modus operandi of the football club. For instance, the commission will ask whether there was a systematic pattern of first accusing people of spying for the police, followed by orders of kidnapping, beatings and killing.
Two examples Madikizela-Mandela will need to explain relate to the abduction and subsequent killing of two young activists, Siboniso Tshabalala and Lolo Sono, in November 1988.
Both youths were abducted following a shoot-out between the police and two Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) guerrillas (who were killed) at Richardsons Mzimhlophe house.
The youths were later accused of selling out the two MK members to the police before they were abducted. Sonos father, Nicodemus, is on record as saying he saw his badly injured son in the same vehicle as Madikizela-Mandela.
Richardson, who has claimed in his amnesty application he was responsible for the crime for which the youths were accused, now says he acted on orders from Madikizela-Mandela.
Madikizela-Mandela will be accused of :
* The murder of Kuki Zwane. Richardson claimed Madikizela-Mandela said Zwane was a police spy and ordered her death.
* Implication in the death in detention of Sizwe Sithole Madikizela-Mandelas daughter Zinzis boyfriend. Sithole was found hanging in his police cell after allegedly being betrayed by Madikizela- Mandela to the police.
Sithole allegedly made a statement linking Madikizela-Mandela and her daughter to a series of crimes. Although the statement has never been made public, the commission is expected to question Madikizela-Mandela about its contents.
* The attempted murder by Richardson of former football club member Andrew Ikaneng and the killing of Maxwell Madondo who allegedly refused to join the club.
* The bombing of the house of Madikizela- Mandelas former friend and comrade Dudu Chili, and the death of Chilis 13-year-old nephew Finkie Msomi.
Observers say Madikizela-Mandelas team will attempt to base their defence and argument on discrediting statements from key witnesses.