Winnie Mandela wins jail sentence appeal

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the former wife of Nelson Mandela, won an appeal today against a four-year jail term for alleged theft and fraud.

The High Court in Pretoria handed her a five-year suspended sentence.

It upheld all 43 charges of fraud from her conviction in April 2003 but overturned all 25 counts of theft, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The former anti-apartheid activist and African National Congress Women’s League president denied charges of theft and fraud involving £68,000 (€101,394). She was accused along with her financial adviser Addie Moolman.

They allegedly used letters on Women’s League stationery to fraudulently obtain bank loans in the name of non-existent 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.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the Pretoria court today to support the former social worker dubbed the “Mother of the Nation”.

Madikizela-Mandela was convicted in 1991 for kidnapping and assault. Her six-year jail sentence was reduced on appeal to a fine.