Winnie Mandela

It’s so easy to judge when you’re not involved and have no idea if she is good bad or ugly apart from what you read which may be distorted beyond recognition I think she did definitely make mistakes in her later life she was possible involved with violence but the woman fought her whole life against the dreadful regime in her country, she was in solitary confinement for over a year, she stood by her husband for 27 years there is no need for rose coloured glasses she was moulded by the violence she lived through
Mandela himself was a saint seeming to have no malice in his heart for his jailers, his tormentors, the killers, she was a fighter and was no saint but she wouldn’t be loved by so many if she was that bad a soul

That may be true, but by the same token, how many of us would have done the things she is being criticised for?

I am certaintly not looking with rose tinted glasses,I am defending a woman called evil here, she was not evil, she did wrong, but how many of you who sit in judgement of her would have or could have endured what she had to.

Annie I am sure it would be possible to choose an appropriate sector of anyone's life and come out with a rosy picture (or a terrible picture for that matter); surely the totality of the life should be considered when they die.

I cant believe all the glory she is getting she was nasty and hid behind others after she carried out so horrific deeds, she should be left to rot

Ok Annie, her later life then but it was no justification for her I repeat evil acts. Nothing is, we need to stop looking at her with rose tinted glasses.

Talk about it if you choose, your choice

Yes Annie, but why are we NOT talking about post-apartheid?

No, she did not have a terrible early life apart from living in apartheid S.A. She became involved with the struggle when her husband was jailed, she fought to get him released, this took her 27 years and this was her awful life . Plus the fight to free her country from apartheid ,

I am also sorry Annie, but she was an evil woman. So she had a terrible early life but that is no justification for the evil acts she inflicted on people.

My nephew was in Namibia,recently,waiting for two weeks to cross the border into Zambia.He said there were lots of farmers abandoning their farms in SA and travelling through Namibia.Hundreds have been trying to petition Trump to allow them into USA.He asked my sister if it had been on the news.Very frightening for everyone.

We were not discussing post apartheid

Anniebach you must be aware of the violent clashes between the ANC and other leading South African political parties, for example the Inkatha Freedom Party. I imagine that is what oldwoman means. Nothing to do with wanting or not wanting an end to apartheid, much to do with "you, the people, will vote ANC - or else". Currently the clashes that erupt are generally between the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters, the third largest party in the SA Parliament. Post-Apartheid ANC does not like critics ...

Annie I feel there is no getting away from the fact that she was responsible for some very unpleasant acts, including this (from USA Today)

"In 2003, she was sentenced to four years in prison on dozens of counts of theft and bank fraud. A judge ruled that she profited from loans to poor people who could not get them without a letter from her. "

It is, of course, appropriate to praise her as well, but it shouldn't be an unadulterated whitewash IMO.

Oldwoman, what do you mean violence against her own people who didn't agree with her politics? You believe some black South Africans didn't want an end to apartheid .

I'm with Anniebach on this one.

I just feel sick reading some of the things she is accused of doing, literally.

ReadyMeals ... the point is, that Winnie Mandela did it the other way round.

I think Mandela himself was implicated in violence earlier in his life? We excused him for that and he went on to become a great and benevolent leader

There is no doubt she was a great support to Nelson Mandela when he was in prison and helped end the awful regime in South Africa, however, the use of violence against her own people who disagreed with her politics is what she will mostly be remembered for.

Really Gabrielle? It freed S,A. of apartheid. What would you have done if you saw police urinating on a child? Turned your back on her and remained so noble . What would you do if the police marched into your home and took your children from you? remained noble? If you were put in solitary confinement for speaking out against your husbands life imprisonment, remained noble?

Eleothan, a fair post. Winnie said their hate taught her to hate. The police even took her wedding photographs from her and burned them when they ransacked her home .

The hate spouted here for a woman who suffered so much is unbelievable.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Lol...well my hands are clean as I have never worn or bought jewellery not even an engagement or wedding ring, although I was married.
I don't like the feeling of things on my fingers, round my neck or in my ears.

I admire Winnie Mandela for her courage and determination in standing up to the very brutal and morally bankrupt apartheid regime and its bully boys.

It is perfectly possible to praise a person for some of the things he or she has done whilst regretting less admirable behaviour. Unfortunately, violence begets violence and terror is often met with terror, but surely it is not right to airbrush it out of a person's history?

Having said that, I disassociate myself from remarks such as "WM was a bad un" and "the country is well rid of her" and comments comparing her with Lady Macbeth. Black people were fighting for their lives in South Africa and, in a very unequal battle where the police and security forces held all the cards, it is not surprising that sometimes people crossed the line.