Her wish shall be granted

MK Malefane, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s friend and aide in the 1980s, says Brandfort must never be forgotten At this prison of a home in Brandfort, Mama Winnie missed her real home and people terribly, particularly the youth and women engaged in the struggle in Soweto.

When her banishment term ended, sometime in 1981, she was uncertain whether it would not be renewed, but filled with suppressed excitement in the anticipation that she may finally be going home.

A few days before, I had met with senior police officers in preparation for a visit to Brandfort by the minister and chief of police. They had given me every reason to believe they would be lifting the banning order.

On the appointed day, meticulous care was taken in preparation. I cooked the best lunch ever from the best mutton and beef cuts and wors from our local butchery, whose management and staff were crestfallen at the impending loss of their famous resident and customer. The ministerial delegation finally arrived and we engaged in very pleasant chit-chat about what an inspiration Mama Winnie was and why can’t we find peace living together, and so on. They thoroughly enjoyed and profusely thanked us for the lunch, then they all stood and left without a word.

Mama Winnie and I were completely taken aback and bewildered. I followed them to the gate and saw that they were arguing about who should be the bearer of an envelope. They handed this envelope to me and I went back into the house and opened it for Mama Winnie to read. They had extended her banning order.

I shall never forget the deep pain and disappointment on her face, but stoically and with resolute strength she recovered her composure and signed the document.

I took it out and handed it back to the delegation, who with bowed heads filed out through the gate to their vehicles and sped off.

So many times, even recently before her passing, Mama Winnie begged me to never forget Brandfort. She told me to write a book and produce a movie on those years. Her wish shall be granted. She also challenged me to do something about the Winnie Mandela museum in Brandfort, because it pained her to see the vandalised state of her exile home. Her wish shall be granted.

But by far her greatest pain was to see her beloved organisation, the ANC, becoming what it is today. Her challenge to leaders was to save it and rebuild her beloved South Africa. Her wish shall be granted.