”Viva Winnie!” echoed through a corridor of the Pretoria Regional Court on Thursday minutes after the person many regard as the ”mother of the nation” was found guilty on 68 criminal charges.
From early in the day people stood waiting outside Pretoria Regional Court 1 with the hope of witnessing the outcome of the case against African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and broker Addy Moolman.
But masses of people were left grumbling outside because the public gallery could only accommodate a limited number of supporters and journalists.
Following Tuesday’s incident when a young woman went straight up to Madikizela-Mandela in the dock while the proceedings were underway, there was a heavy police presence.
Uniformed police body-searched those who managed to get into the courtroom and looked through their bags.
A grey-haired man, bent with age, who had sat in the second row from the front during his daily attendance of the trial since its start in July last year, was surprised to find his seat reserved for journalists, but was promoted to the front row.
An elderly woman with a natty little black hat, also a regular at the trial, only got in when the gallery was full, but relatives and acquaintances of Madikizela-Mandela’s offered her a space in the two rows reserved for them.
Madikizela-Mandela, dressed in a cream jacket and skirt, with pearls around her neck, smiled slightly as she entered the dock, but the way she bit her lower lip belied her calm appearance.
From the judgement read by magistrate Peet Johnson it was soon clear that he and his two assessors were not convinced of her innocence.
But there was confusion when the final verdict was pronounced, with few onlookers immediately realising Madikizela-Mandela had lost her case hands down — with convictions on 43 fraud and 25 theft charges.
During the subsequent tea break, she and her daughter Zinzi — whose name frequently came up during the trial — were in deep discussions with her counsel, Ishmael Semenya.
Madikizela-Mandela did not even look at a journalist who loudly asked her for comment. Moolman, who was convicted on even more charges, was also mum.
A police woman conceded defeat against a few more people who wanted to enter the courtroom.
The case was postponed until Friday for sentencing. Even after the adjournment more of those who were unable to observe the proceedings poured in and stood on the benches to get a glimpse of Madikizela-Mandela.
When she finally emerged, surrounded by her daughters, sons-in-law and a phalanx of bodyguards keeping fans and foes at a distance, there were walls of people in the corridor cheering her on.
A single cheer of ”Viva Winnie!” was soon taken up by many.
Outside the court’s parking area even more people massed, partially obstructing Pretorius Street.
A few bodyguards rushed out and jumped into a waiting Corolla that left rubber on the road as it sped off.
Moments later, more bodyguards ran out into the street along an elderly cream Mercedes Benz — quite unlike Wednesday’s new silver one — with its famous cargo.
It was well on its way before the photographers and fans running along in the hope of snapping or seeing Madikizela-Mandela gave up. – Sapa