Winnie Mandela, gets 4-year suspended sentence; high court voids theft charges

Jet, July 26, 2004

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the former wife of Nelson Mandela, recently avoided a four-year prison term when an appeals court overturned charges of theft from a women's political league.

The High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, upheld all 43 charges of fraud from her conviction in April 2003 but rejected all 25 counts of theft, handing her a four-year suspended sentence.

Outside the court, Madikizela-Mandela said she would challenge the partial dismissal. "I have instructed my lawyers to appeal against a judgment that is completely wrong," she was quoted as saying by the South African Press Association.

The former anti-apartheid activist and African National Congress Women's League president pleaded innocent to all charges of theft and fraud involving $120,000. She was accused along with her financial adviser Addie Moolman.

They allegedly used letters on Women's League stationary to fraudulently obtain bank loans in the name of nonexistent employees. The theft charges relate to money deducted from the bank accounts of loan applicants for a bogus funeral policy.

Moolman also had the theft charges dropped against him but lost his appeal against the fraud conviction. His five-year jail sentence was reduced to four.

Both have been free on bail since their convictions.