Winnie Madikizela-Mandela- So right yet so horribly wrong

I adore Winnie Madikizela-Mandela – not just for her African beauty – but because of her resilience in the face of such major hardships, trials and tribulations she suffered at the hands of the brutal, inhumane and cruel oppressive regime. The scars are clearly visible.

I adored the manner with which she personally connected with the voiceless and downtrodden and her visibility when those people had to face the brutality of the system. I adored her courage which came as the result of her overcoming her own fears. Her courage and fearlessness rubbed off to the young lions who took up the fight to the oppressor. It was her passion and willingness to speak for the voiceless that makes me be prepared to overlook the serious mistakes and blots in her life.

But Winnie is now clearly a bitter and defeated woman. What a pity. The toll of her toils is beginning to catch up with her. And age is not making things any easier for her.

She is wrong about Mandela and Bishop Tutu. She is right about people like Steve Biko. But it is not Mandela who ignores and buries Biko. It is her own party that continues to downplay the contributions of people like Biko and Sobukwe; thus robbing our young people and future generations of a significant part of our history and people who ought to be their role models.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), if anything, was Winnie’s friend. I watched her brilliant defense on TRC and realized another quality in this woman – the Clinton smarts. The TRC also exposed her weaker side – the people she surrounded herself with at the time of the Stompie fiasco. They were a bunch of imbeciles, especially Jerry Richardson. She could have gotten herself a better team of people. But we understand, she was under constant surveillance and duress. She could not apply her mind freely and had very few choices.

TRC helped Winnie get forgiveness from Stompie’s mother (one wonders if Stompie’s mom fires on all cylinders); even though the Bishop had to beg Winnie to beg for forgiveness. Winnie should have taken the forgiveness received and began her atonement. TRC exposed her not as a bad woman, but one who acted under a severely strained judgment.

Winnie is definitely a beaten woman now. How can she forget the immense contribution from the selfless Bishop Tutu who in those days was the voice of the voiceless? How can she forget the evil and hardship that befell the Bishop from oppressors and puppets alike; especially when he almost singlehandedly called for sanctions (even punitive sanctions) against the Apartheid government? How can he forget the boycotts called and led by the Bishop in the face of repression and states of emergency?

Is she bitter maybe because of allegations that the Bishop was behind her being separated from Mandela?

The sad part is that Winnie puts the blame for the status quo on the wrong person. Mandela did what he had to do – before, in, and after prison. The power to transform our society socio-economically lies with the members in her NEC (unless they are clueless – as it seems to be the case).
No Winnie, it is not Mandela but the tenderpreneurs – such as Malema – who not only abuse the entrepreneurial privilege, but sell out the proud legacy of our struggle for freedom in South Africa. It is not the white people who hang on to their privileged positions, but those greedy black people who are prepared to from for them for three pieces of silver. It is those lucky individuals who would not want their loot to trickle down to the masses and thus spread the wealth. It is those unions who encourage teachers to stay away from classes and thereby contributing to the poor standard of education received by our kids.

It is those members of your organization who recalled a sitting president just because their wanted to install a corrupt and morally comprised person as the leader of an important country in Africa.

As a member of the NEC, Winnie I still believe in your power to instill some sense and direction in your movement. But, I believe you have to put the blame where it belongs – right at the door step of your organization. Get us better leaders and not selfish individuals who are in it for the loot. They are the real sellouts.