Winnie Mandela Conviction Upheld -- Role In Kidnapping Gets No Jail Sentence

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The Supreme Court upheld Winnie Mandela's kidnapping conviction today, but said she would not have to go to jail for her part in a brutal crime that shook the nation.

The nation's highest court rejected Mrs. Mandela's appeal of kidnapping charges in connection with the 1988 abduction of four young blacks, one of whom was later found dead. But it reduced a five-year jail term to a fine of 15,000 rand - $4,800 - or one year in jail.

She was also ordered to pay compensation of 5,000 rand ($1,600) to each of the three surviving victims.

Conviction struck down

The court struck down a related conviction and one-year sentence on an assault charge. Witnesses at the trial had testified that Mrs. Mandela was with them in another province when the kidnapped boys were beaten.

A fine for kidnapping is highly unusual in South Africa, where the law allows the death sentence for such an offense.

The court also ordered a suspended two-year jail sentence that would be imposed if Mrs. Mandela is again convicted of kidnapping in the next five years.

The unanimous decision by the five judges, delivered in a 192-page judgment, said there was no doubt that Mrs. Mandela had been "on occasion evasive, untruthful, contradictory and capable of dishonest improvisation."

The appeals of co-defendants John Morgan and Xoliswa Falati were also rejected. Falati's six-year sentence was reduced to four years, of which two were suspended. Morgan received a suspended one-year sentence in the original trial.

Mrs. Mandela, who is separated from African National Congress President Nelson Mandela, had said she is innocent. She celebrated with champagne today, but had no comment.

Mandela said, "I'm very happy that my estranged wife will not have to go to prison."

Black-white deal near

The decision came at a time when black and white leaders are close to a deal on ending apartheid. Sending Mrs. Mandela to jail would have angered radical blacks already unhappy over the ANC's moderate stance.

Mrs. Mandela has been trying to rebuild her political career in recent months, looking for support among young blacks angry over ANC attempts to share power with the white minority government.

She separated from Mandela last year amid reports of an extramarital affair and allegations of misuse of funds in an ANC office she headed.

She has been sharply critical of Mandela, accusing ANC leaders of selling out poor blacks.

A lower court had convicted Mrs. Mandela in 1991 for her involvement in the abduction of four young blacks from a church home in the black township of Soweto.

Two of the four gave dramatic testimony during the trial, alleging that a singing and dancing Mrs. Mandela beat them with a whip.

One of the four, Stompie Seipei, was later murdered and Mrs. Mandela's chief bodyguard, Jerry Richardson, was convicted of the killing.