Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and broker Addy Moolman have been granted leave to appeal against their conviction and sentence for fraud and theft. Their bail was increased from R5,000 to R10,000 (South Africa Rand) each.
Madikizela-Mandela was sentenced to five years in jail by Magistrate Peet Johnson in the Pretoria Regional Court earlier on Friday April 25, 2003, for after her conviction on dozens of fraud and theft charges. One year of the sentence was suspended for five years.
However, she was ordered to serve only eight months of her sentence in prison, after which she would be required to do community service.
In a statement issued after sentencing, Madikizela-Mandela said she would resign as MP, as African National Congress Women’s League president, as member of the ANC’s national executive committee, and from attendant positions in the party.
“This I will do in the fullness of time,” she said. Her co-accused, Moolman, was sentenced to seven years in prison, of which two years were suspended for five years. Madikizela-Mandela was convicted on 43 counts of fraud and 25 of theft on Thursday. Moolman, was found guilty on the same charges, plus 15 more of fraud.
Johnson found Moolman had submitted loan applications containing false information to Saambou Bank and brokerage firm Imstud. The applications were accompanied by letters on the ANCWL letterhead — with Madikizela-Mandela’s signature — stating the applicants worked for the league, while they did not.
Johnson found Moolman had arranged for premiums to be deducted from loan applicants’ bank accounts for a non-existent funeral policy. Madikizela-Mandela, who knew about this, later used the money to pay the salary of an employee of hers, the magistrate found.
The ANC said it “respected and accepted” the verdict, but would reserve further comment until the case was concluded.
But the conviction prompted renewed opposition calls for Madikizela-Mandela to resign her parliamentary seat. “A member of parliament convicted on 43 charges of fraud should not stay on in parliament,” said Douglas Gibson, opposition Democratic Alliance chief whip. Sapa/BBC/USAfricaonline.com
