Mrs. Winnie Mandela appeared in court on 31 August charged with contravening her banning order by receiving visitors and attending social gatherings (see FOCUS 12, p.13-14). The policeman who has been detailed to keep the Mandela house under observation said several people had visited the house and stayed overnight. Mrs. Mandela told him they 'were her daughter's visitors and that she would rather be arrested than have the police force them to leave. Visitors gave evidence of police harrassment. The police denied having told Mrs. Mandela that things were different now she was restricted to Brandfort in the Orange Free State and saying "we will make you co-operate with us eventually." On 27 October the trial was adjourned to 17 January. (W 1/2.9.77; RDM 2.9.77; Times 26.10.77; MS 28.10.77)
On 6 September Nelson Mandela was granted a court interdict against two Brandfort security policemen restraining them from preventing people visiting his daughter Zinzi and from molesting or harrassing her. The judge ruled that Mrs. Mandela's restrictions did not apply to Zinzi and the policemen were ordered to pay the costs of the action. (D.Tel. 8.9.77; RDM 24.9.77)
Four women were taken to court over their visit to Mrs. Mandela, and sentenced to jail terms for refusing to answer questions lest they risk prosecution. Mrs. Ilona Kleinschmidt and Miss Jacqueline Bosman were both convicted of refusing to testify under the new Criminal Procedure Act and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment. Both had been subpoenaed to make statements about alleged visits to Mrs. Mandela. (RDM 9.9.77)
A month later Mrs. Helen Joseph, aged 72, who spent many years under house arrest for her opposition to apartheid, was sentenced to four months, and Mrs. Barbara Waite to 12 months on similar charges. All four women were released on bail pending appeals (RDM 14.10.77).
Mrs. Mandela has met with other obstruction from the Brandfort police. On 3 September she was prevented from leaving the town in time to catch a flight to Cape Town which would enable her to pay one of her allotted visits to her husband on Robben Island on 4 September, and was therefore allowed to see him only once, on 5 September. (W 5.9.77). Later in the month Mrs. Mandela was refused permission to visit her elder daughter in Swaziland (W 11.9.77).
