Truth, Lies and Alibis: A Winnie Mandela story

by Fred Bridgland

On New Year’s Eve in 1988, 14-year-old Stompie Seipei Moeketsi was beaten to within an inch of his life. He was stabbed and dumped in the veld on the outskirts of Soweto, and when he was identified six weeks later the trail led to Winnie Mandela and the feared Mandela United Football Club. With the world’s eyes turned to South Africa and its hard-won transition story, an uncomfortable story of Winnie Mandela emerged as her trial, appeal and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission became entangled in a web of secrecy and lies, racial tension and political expediency.
Was she above the law? How did Nelson Mandela try to protect her? What does it mean for politicians’ respect for the rule of law in the democratic era? This exploration of the Mandela United Football Club’s reign of terror throws up questions about the nature of justice and accountability – and how these differ for the ‘important’ and ‘unimportant’ people of this world. Veteran correspondent Fred Bridgland, who covered South Africa for UK newspapers at the time, reinvestigates and delivers explosive new information.

Genres: Africa

259 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2018

Reviews

[Maryam Ibrahim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fred Bridgland, an acclaimed journalist, writes in this book about the court proceedings, the witnesses and the politics all behind the infamous Winnie trail and as well as what transpired at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. For context, this trial involved the murder of a youth by the name of Stompie Seipei Moeketsi and the involvement of Mrs. Mandela’s Football Club called the Mandela United Football Club. At the time she was the wife of Mr. Nelson Mandela who would later become the first democratic elected president. She was further, a force of activism, a fighter for people and profoundly known to South Africans and worldwide as the Mother of the Nation.
Reading this book brought an immense amount of information about the struggle during that time and what Winnie Mandela had to endure. The book is story about Winnie but also the people around her during the time of the Mandela United Football club and the T.R.C. The book highlights her personal life and personal struggles in her journey of fighting for democracy. But more this book is a stab or a re-opening of wound if the reader praises Winnie. This book, based on facts and on evidence is a hard book to grapple with because it talks about the lives that were taken away. It talks about the youth that wanted to become fighters but became pawns in someone else’s game.

[Andy – And The Plot Thickens · Rating 2 out of 5]

This biography of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela stirred controversy for all the wrong reasons even as it just hit the shelves. The publisher had pulled 'shoutouts' from articles written by other journalists on the subject, taking them out of context and not asking the journalists' permission. The publisher has had to apologise profusely and promised to republish the book without the quotes. One journalist, Redi Thlabi, has said she would never have agreed to give the book a shoutout because of its stance.

"Truth, Lies and Alibis" focuses mostly on Winnie's Mandela United Football Club, which became involved in violent thuggery. The book hones in on the murder of 14-year-old Stompie Seipei. Despite the conviction of Jerry Richardson, the "coach" of the club, speculation and accusations continued that Winnie not only ordered the killing but actively participated in it. The only witness who ever stated that he saw Winnie murdering Stompie was Katiza Cebekhulu, who admitted to initially lying under oath that Winnie had nothing to do with the murder, and who then changed his story at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, saying he saw Winnie stab Stompie with a sharp and shiny object. The TRC found Cebekhulu to be unreliable.

The other focus is on Winnie's alibi for the murder, which was discredited at the TRC. However, no prosecution came from this. The author suggests certain damning evidence was not presented at Winnie's trials and claims the reason is a kind of agreement between the National Party and ANC not to derail peace negotiations.

The fact the Fred Brigland focuses only on one aspect of Winnie's life, angering many, especially as the book comes only months after her death. She is beloved and revered by many as The Mother of the Nation and the book feels unbalanced, as only one short chapter is dedicated to the brutal injustices she suffered under the apartheid regime.

[Mmncedi Mmgwigwi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and well written account of an unfortunate South African history.