From: vamg6792@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Vincent A Mazzarella)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: UPI: Double trouble for Winnie Mandela
Date: 8 Apr 92 21:23:58 GMT
Article-I.D.: ux1.1992Apr8.212358.8824
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana


	JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (UPI) -- Winnie Mandela, engulfed in two
scandals, Tuesday rejected allegations she was involved in a murder and
dismissed rumors of her impending divorce from African National Congress
leader Nelson Mandela.
	In a statement read to a news conference by her lawyer, Mrs. Mandela,
married to the ANC president for 33 years, denied all allegations
against her and appealed for the press not to speculate about her
relationship with her husband.
	The storm brewing around the wife of the president of the powerful
ANC has taken less than a week to develop and focused initially on
revelations by a former friend of the Mandelas.
	Xoliswa Falati, convicted with Mrs. Mandela last year for kidnapping
and assault, first told newspapers Mrs. Mandela had tried to throw her
out of the Mandela home and then alleged a divorce announcement would be
made some time this week.
	Nelson Mandela and his wife are believed to have lived apart since
late last year after allegations surfaced that Mrs. Mandela, 57, was
romantically involved with one of her lawyers.
	But Mrs. Mandela's lawyer, Ismail Ayob, said, ``There's nothing apart
from that statement (of Falati's) to suggest they are living apart.''
	Asked if the statement were true, he replied ``No.'' He said,
however, that the Mandelas led busy lives, and ``there's also a security
problem,'' which accounted for their infrequent joint appearances.
	``Mrs. Mandela appeals to the media not to concern itself with nor
speculate about her personal relationships with her husband which has
endured despite 27 years of imprisonment and many years of exile,'' her
statement said.
	Ayob also said Nelson Mandela had seen the statement and approved it
in full.
	``If there is any necessity for me to make a statement, that will be
made in due course, but for the time being I have no intention to make
any statement about that,'' Mandela himself told reporters earlier
Tuesday.
	Meanwhile, a report in The Christian Science Monitor launched a fresh
storm of speculation Tuesday about Mrs. Mandela's involvement in a
murder.
	She got six years in jail for her part in the kidnapping and beating
of four black youths, one of whom was subsequently murdered in December
1988.
	The Monitor report quoted a co-defendant with Mrs. Mandela, Katiza
Cebukhulu, as saying he would be willing to testify in court to her
links to another death, that of Dr. Abu-Baker Asvat.
	Asvat allegedly refused in December 1988 to treat the beaten youths,
saying they should be hospitalized. He was shot dead Jan. 27 1989 in
circumstances treated as robbery at the time.
	Asvat's family said Tuesday it planned to try to re-open the case,
which was not addressed in Mrs. Mandela's trial.
	``The allegations made against Mrs. Mandela are a rehash of the
gossip that was prevalent before the trial,'' her statement said.
	``I'll be very surprised,'' Mrs. Mandela's lawyer said, asked if he
believed if fresh evidence about the case might come to light. ``The
allegation that she's responsible for the death of Dr. Asvat is
laughable.''
	Asked about other reports that Mrs. Mandela had a secret ``hit list''
which included ANC secretary-general Cyril Ramaphosa, Ayob said: ``It's
really a laughable allegation.''
	Cebukhulu, the basis for the new reports, himself never stood trial
as he mysteriously vanished -- amid allegations of kidnapping -- from
South Africa to re-appear briefly in a Zambian jail, where the Christian
Science Monitor spoke to him in late 1991.

-- 
Vincent Mazzarella
College of Medicine, Neuroscience Program
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
e-mail:  mazz@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu  (Internet)