Mandela on 85 fraud charges

WINNIE MANDELA, the former wife of South Africa's Nelson Mandela, appeared in a Pretoria court yesterday to face fraud and theft charges.

Mandela, 64, a member of the ruling African National Congress party, faces 85 counts of fraud and theft involving nearly £65,000.

The charges stem from an alleged scheme to obtain bank loans for non-existent employees of her ANC Women’s League.

Authorities said Mandela and Addy Moolman, her financial adviser, last year negotiated a deal with Saambou Bank to secure loans for women’s league employees.

Sixty people falsely claiming to be women’s league staff then obtained loans from the bank, authorities said.

Those people all carried letters on women’s league stationery confirming their employment, and most of those letters were signed by Mandela, authorities said.

Prosecutors said £35,750 was later deposited in her personal accounts. The accounts have since been frozen.

Mandela denies any wrongdoing, saying she had reported the crime to the police.

An anti-apartheid hero, Mandela is wildly popular with many poor urban blacks.

She has also been criticised by President Thabo Mbeki and senior ruling party officials as a self-promoting insubordinate.

In 1991, Mandela was convicted of kidnapping and assault and sentenced to six years in prison.

The sentence was reduced to a fine on appeal.