Date:06/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/06/stories/2004070602531401.htm

International

Winnie wins appeal

Durban: The former South African first lady, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, on Monday won an appeal for the removal of a five-year jail sentence against her in connection with bank loans she obtained for her employees, and was acquitted of all fraud charges. Acting on an appeal by the ex-wife of the former South African President, Nelson Mandela, the Pretoria High Court reduced the sentence handed down in April 2003 from five years to three years and six months, and declared it suspended. However, her co-accused, Addy Moolman, who had also appealed against his conviction and sentence, was sentenced by Judge Eberhardt Bertelsmann to four years in prison for fraud. After the decision, Ms. Madikizela-Mandela said that the judgement regarding her fraud charges was ``completely wrong''. She said she would appeal against the three years and six months imprisonment on the fraud charges that was suspended for five years. Earlier, Ms. Madikizela-Mandela was accompanied to the High Court by her daughter, Zinzi, and some of her supporters. — PTI