PRETORIA, April 24: Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the flamboyant ex-wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela, was found guilty Thursday on fraud and theft charges involving some one million rand (131,000 dollars).
Her co-accused Addy Moolman, a broker, was also found guilty.
Madikizela-Mandela, who is a member of parliament and president of the African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL), was convicted on 43 charges of fraud and 25 of theft, and Moolman on 58 charges of fraud and 25 of theft.
She and Moolman had pleaded not guilty to 60 charges of fraud and 25 charges of theft. The sentence could be up to 15 years in prison.
“The evidence of the state ... is overwhelming,” said magistrate Peet Johnson, pronouncing the verdict.
The pair were charged with using letters on ANCWL letterhead paper bearing 66-year-old Madikizela-Mandela’s signature to fraudulently obtain loans from Saambou Bank in the names of bogus league employees.
The theft charges related to amounts of 360 rand (45 dollars) deducted from loan applicants’ bank accounts for a funeral policy that did not exist.
Johnson postponed the case until Friday, for arguments in mitigation and aggravation of sentence. Both accused had their 5,000 rand bail extended.
The trial started in July last year. In total 23 witnesses testified against the pair.
At the conclusion of her testimony last month, Madikizela-Mandela accused Moolman, Saambou Bank staff and former ANCWL employees of lying about her part in the scheme.
She said she signed the documents her secretary brought to her without checking them.
“I have listened to a pack of lies,” she told the court at the time.
But on Thursday, Johnson said Madikizela-Mandela’s evidence was often unreliable and that she had contracticted herself on a number of issues.
Madikizela-Mandela, wearing a cream suit, bore a calm expression as the verdict was pronounced.
Her daughter Zinzi who was in court, chewed gum throughout the judgment, but stopped when the verdict was given.
Thursday’s proceedings were conducted amid tight security. At the entrance to the court a crowd of around 150 people had gathered to support Madikizela-Mandela.
They shouted “amandla ngawethu” (power to the people), “Winnie, Winnie”, sang apartheid liberation songs and danced as Madikizela-Mandela was escorted from the court by her bodyguards and a contingent of about 20 police officers.
One supporter, a man named Jefferson Makope, said he was sad that Madikizela-Mandela had been found guilty. —AFP
PRETORIA, April 24: Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the flamboyant ex-wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela, was found guilty Thursday on fraud and theft charges involving some one million rand (131,000 dollars).
