Wally Mbhele
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela stands accused of being central to the formation and activities of the Mandela United Football Club, whose members were involved in at least 18 cold-blooded murders.
In a harsh judgment on her association with the football club, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) final report said most Mandela United operations were launched from her home, with Madikizela-Mandela knowing about these matters, or having participated actively in these assaults, assisted in covering them up or obstructed the course of justice.
“What is tragic about such a heroic figure as Madikizela-Mandela, with her own rich history of contribution to the struggle, is how she became embroiled in a controversy that caused immeasurable damage to her reputation,” the report says.
The report said people were labelled informers in a number of incidents, which legitimated their execution by football club members. Madikizela- Mandela denied all these allegations.
“There can be no doubt that she showed poor judgment in ignoring the advice of community leaders and mass democratic movement leaders. The TRC has been unable to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion as to what went wrong and why she was not accountable to the democratic structures inside the country, what influence the external liberation movement had over her and why she became so isolated from democratic and community structures.”
The commission said it was of the view that both the Mass Democratic Movement and the ANC must accept responsibility for not bringing her into the fold or disciplining her when things were beginning to go wrong.
The TRC found the football club was involved in a number of criminal activities in the community. These included killing, torture, assault and arson.
The TRC said Madikizela- Mandela was aware of the club’s criminal activities and chose not to address the problems emanating from the football club. Those who opposed her and the club were branded informers, hunted down and killed.
The commission cited the examples of her participation in the abduction in 1988 of Lolo Sono and Siboniso Tshabalala, who have never been found.
It accused her of deliberately and maliciously slandering the name of Bishop Paul Verryn in an attempt to divert attention away from herself and club members about 14-year-old activist Stompie Sepei’s killing and torture.
It said also that she was involved in and responsible for the attempted murder of Lerotodi Ikaneng, who was stabbed in the throat by her former friend, Gerry Richardson.
The TRC said the football club phenomenon was replicated in vigilante actions of other similar groups across the country during this period. The fundamental difference, however, was that this group enjoyed the patronage, support and protection of Madikizela- Mandela and the prestige of association with the Mandela home.
The club was initially admired by many in the local community, but within a few years it became feared and hated as it engaged in a series of acts of terror. Madikizela-Mandela’s proximity to these events, according to the TRC, is as undeniable as her complicity.
But the commission found there was no evidence linking her to the assassination of the former Soweto human rights doctor Abubaker Asvat, despite consistent rumours of her involvement.
It said the pending amnesty hearing relating to that matter may provide the clues.
23