WINNIE MADIKIZELA-MANDELA, THE DIVORCED WIFE OF SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA, IS ONCE AGAIN AT THE CENTER OF A CONTROVERSY INVOLVING MURDER ALLEGATIONS. THE WOMAN ONCE REGARDED AS THE "MOTHER OF THE NATION" SAYS SHE IS NOW BEING PORTRAYED UNFAIRLY AS A DEMON.WINNIE MADIKIZELA-MANDELA IS ONCE AGAIN UNDER SIEGE. A FORMER MEMBER OF WHAT WAS, ESSENTIALLY, HER PERSONAL VIGILANTE GANG, KATIZA CEBEKHULU, CLAIMS IN A NEW BOOK AND A TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY HE SAW HER STAB TEENAGER STOMPIE SEIPEI. HE SAYS SHE COMMITTED THE MURDER IN THE SPRAWLING BLACK TOWNSHIP OF SOWETO IN 1989.
MR. CEBEKHULU HAS BEEN IN HIDING FOR THE PAST SIX-YEARS, HAVING VANISHED ON THE EVE OF MRS. MADIKIZELA-MANDELA'S 1991 TRIAL IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH OF THE YOUNG SEIPEI. SHE WAS FINED FOR KIDNAPPING THE YOUTH, ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN A POLICE INFORMER, BUT ONE OF HER BODYGUARDS WAS ACTUALLY CONVICTED OF HIS MURDER.
NOW, OFFICIALS OF SOUTH AFRICA'S "TRUTH COMMISSION" ARE PLANNING TO OPEN A NEW PROBE INTO THE INCIDENT. ACTING COMMISSION CHAIRMAN ALEX BORAINE SAYS SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS MAY HAVE TO BE MADE TO HEAR MR. CEBEKHULU'S STATEMENT.
WE MAY THEN HAVE TO ARRANGE FOR HIM TO APPEAR BEFORE MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY. ONE THING IS CLEAR, HE HAS APPLIED FOR AMNESTY, HE HAS A RIGHT TO APPEAR BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT HAPPENS.
MRS. MADIKIZELA-MANDELA HAS REACTED ANGRILY TO THE ALLEGATIONS. AT A NEWS CONFERENCE IN JOHANNESBURG THIS WEEK, SHE SAID MR. CEBEKHULU MUST RETURN TO SOUTH AFRICA TO FACE JUSTICE FOR HIS ROLE IN MR. SEIPEI'S ABDUCTION AND DEATH.
WHERE IS CEBEKHULU? IS THE STATE MACHINERY UNABLE TO GET A HOLD OF THIS UNSOPHISTICATED PERSON SO THAT HE TELLS THE TRUTH? HE MUST COME HOME TO STAND TRIAL ... AND TO SAY WHO HELPED HIM LEAVE THE COUNTRY, AND WHY.
HER REFERENCE TO THOSE WHO HELPED HIM LEAVE THE COUNTRY IS A THREAT POINTED DIRECTLY AT HER FORMER HUSBAND, NOW PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA. IN THE NEW BOOK DETAILING MR. CEBEKHULU'S ALLEGATIONS, IT IS CLAIMED MR. MANDELA WAS INVOLVED IN HELPING SPIRIT HIM OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
THAT CHARGE HAS ALREADY PROMPTED A DENIAL FROM THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE. PARKS MANKAHLANA IS MR. MANDELA'S SPOKESMAN.
PRESIDENT MANDELA KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THIS. THE OTHER THING THAT HE WANTS TO SAY IS THIS MATTER IS NOW BEING DEALT WITH BY THE TRUTH COMMISSION AND HE WANTS THE TRUTH COMMISSION TO BE GIVEN FULL SUPPORT BY EVERYONE SO THAT IT CARRIES OUT A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION AND ANSWERS ALL THE QUESTIONS.
IN THE MEANTIME, MRS. MADIKIZELA-MANDELA IS ALSO BRISTLING AT OTHER RECENT PUBLISHED ALLEGATIONS CLAIMING SHE HIRED KILLERS TO MURDER A SOWETO DOCTOR IN 1989.
THESE CHARGES ARE MADE BY ONE OF THE KILLERS, NOW IN A SOUTH AFRICAN PRISON, AND ARE SUPPORTED BY MR. CEBEKHULU. THEY MAINTAIN SHE WANTED DOCTOR ABU BAKER ASVAT KILLED BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO COOPERATE IN A COVER-UP OF TEENAGER SEIPEI'S DEATH AND ON OTHER MATTERS.
MRS. MADIKIZELA-MANDELA SAYS THE DOCTOR WAS A FRIEND.
COMRADE ASVAT WAS A PERSONAL FRIEND, A FAMILY DOCTOR AND A MAN OF DEEP COMPASSION ... TO ACCUSE ME OF HIS MURDER IS DEPRAVITY OF A CRUEL KIND. ANY JOURNALIST OR EDITOR WORTH ANYTHING WOULD INTERROGATE THE VERACITY OF ASSERTIONS BY MURDERERS WHO DID NOT EVEN BOTHER TO APPLY FOR AMNESTY. THEY DID NOT BECAUSE THEIRS WAS CONDUCT OF IDIOTIC CRIMINALITY AND NOTHING MORE.
MRS. MADIKIZELA-MANDELA SAYS SHE COULD UNDERSTAND IT WHEN THE FORMER APARTHEID GOVERNMENT SINGLED HER OUT FOR ABUSE AND SLANDERED HER. BUT SHE SAYS SHE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IN THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA, HER CHARACTER IS BEING BUTCHERED AND HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEMOCRACY IN THE COUNTRY ARE BEING RIDICULED. SHE ALSO COMPLAINS SHE HAS BEEN ABANDONED BY HER FRIENDS.
SHE SAYS SHE INTENDS TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT IN AN APPEARANCE BEFORE THE TRUTH COMMISSION, ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS MONTH. SHE SAYS SHE WILL, IN HER WORDS, -- BARE HER SOUL -- IN AN ATTEMPT TO WIN WHAT SHE SAYS IS -- DECENT TREATMENT, ONCE AND FOR ALL.
11-Sep-97
Source: Voice of America