The Trials of Winnie Mandela — Season 1, Episode 3: Chapter 3: WINNIE - Fair and Pure (1988 – 1989)

Episode synopsis

Soweto descends into fear and chaos as the apartheid security police continue to stoke the fires of distrust and suspicion amongst the residents. Vigilantes patrol the streets. Brutal necklacing becomes a symbol of rage. Informers and spies operate in the shadows. At the centre of it all stands the Mandela United Football Club – and Winnie. Allegations mount: abductions, assaults, murder. Two grieving mothers recount the disappearance of their sons. Eight allegations of kidnapping and assault. Fourteen allegations of murder. The violence, the secrecy, the betrayal – all orbit her name. Drawn into a dark and unfamiliar past, Swati and Zaziwe confront the question that reverberates beyond the courtroom: how do you ask your grandmother if she is a murderer?

About The Trials of Winnie Mandela

Directed by the late, two-time Emmy Award®-winning documentary filmmaker Mandy Jacobson, the series unfolds from the perspective of Madikizela-Mandela’s granddaughters, HRH Princess Zaziwe Manaway (née Dlamini) and HRH Princess Swati Mandela-Dlamini, who is also credited as a producer, as they set out to find the essence of their iconic grandmother, affectionately known to them as ‘Big Mommy’. Through their journey, the story pieces together a portrait shaped by personal accounts, family memory, and public record.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Chapter 1: MRS MANDELA - The Wife of Nelson Mandela (1936 – 1976)
• E2Chapter 2: ZANYIWE - To Be Tested (1977-1988)
• E4Chapter 4: NOBANDLA – She Who Is of the People (1990 – 1996)
• E5Chapter 5: WINIFRED - Friend of Peace (1996 – 1997)
• E6Chapter 6: NOMZAMO - Mother of Endeavour (1998 – 2013)
• E7Chapter 7: WINIFRED NOMZAMO ZANYIWE MANDELA MADIKIZELA (2013 – 2018)