Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has launched an astonishing attack on Nelson Mandela, accusing the former president of failing black people.
In an interview published in a UK newspaper, she also called Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu a "cretin".
Her comments follow her surprise absence from the 20th anniversary celebration of Mandela's release from prison on February 11.
In yesterday's unprovoked attack, she described the international icon as a betrayer who had turned soft and let down the black people of South Africa.
She alleged that Mandela had become a "corporate foundation" who was "wheeled out" by the ANC globally to collect money.
She and Mandela married in 1958, but divorced in 1996.
Madikizela-Mandela, 73, who holds the first position on the ANC's national executive committee, was interviewed by Nadira Naipaul, the wife of novelist VS Naipaul, for the London Evening Standard.
Her comments have been met with dismay by an ANC spokesman who told the Cape Argus that the party was distancing itself from the attack.
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In the interview, Madikizela-Mandela was quoted as saying: "This name 'Mandela' is an albatross around the necks of my family.
"You all must realise that Mandela was not the only man who suffered. There were many others, hundreds who languished in prison and died.
"Mandela did go to prison and he went in there as a young revolutionary but look what came out.
"Mandela let us down. He agreed to a bad deal for the blacks. Economically we are still on the outside. The economy is very much 'white'.
"I cannot forgive him for going to receive the Nobel (peace prize) with his jailer, (FW) De Klerk. Hand in hand they went. Do you think De Klerk released him from the goodness of his heart? He had to. The times dictated it, the world had changed."
Dave Steward, head of the FW de Klerk Foundation, immediately laughed off the slur.
"If Winnie Mandela is criticising FW de Klerk at the same time as Mr Mandela, then Mr De Klerk would feel that he's in good company and on the right side of the equation."
Madikizela-Mandela also spoke of her own struggle against apartheid, and admitted to having been scared.
"Yes, I was afraid in the beginning. But then there is only so much they can do to you. After that it is only death. They can only kill you and, as you see, I am still here."
In addition, Madikizela-Mandela laid into the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, chaired by Tutu, before which she appeared in 1997 and which implicated her in gross violations of human rights.
She said: "What good does the truth do? How does it help anyone to know where and how their loved ones are killed or buried?
"That Bishop Tutu who turned it all into a religious circus came here (Soweto). He had a cheek to tell me to appear. I told him that he and his other like-minded cretins were only sitting there because of our struggle and me."
A spokesperson from Tutu's Milnerton office said hat the Archbishop was in Washington DC and would respond, if he chose to, tomorrow.
In the interview, Madikizela-Mandela also claimed that the ANC was exploiting her ex-husband.
"Look what they make him do. The great Mandela. He has no control or say any more.
"They put that huge statue of him right in the middle of the most affluent white area of Johannesburg. Not here (in Soweto) where we spilled our blood.
"Mandela is now like a corporate foundation. He is wheeled out globally to collect the money."
In response to the article, the ANC said it would ask Madikizela-Mandela to explain her attack on the former president.
ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said that when the NEC met next week, they would ask Madikizela-Mandela whether she had indeed said Mandela had done nothing for the poor and had betrayed the black nation.
"We have to be fair, so we would want to hear from her whether she has been correctly quoted.
"It sounds very much out of character, but we will want to know in what capacity she was speaking because this sounds like a very drastic attack on the former president," he said.
An aide who answered her phone this morning said she was not available to speak.
A spokesman for the Nelson Mandela Foundation had not returned calls at the time of going to press.
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At last! Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has told it like it is - the truth! Our people in South Africa are still under the heel of the oppressor. The heel may be that of a Black man with a white mind, but the oppression goes on. Oh, when will we learn the nature of the oppressor we are dealing with here? You cannot compromise or negotiate with this oppressor. His words never mean what they say. They mean whatever he wants them to mean.
Nelson Mandela had the world as his stage and failed to take the opportunity to call upon his people and all Black freedom loving people of the earth to get off their knees and stand up as the original people of earth. This failure has led to the oppressor feeling comfortable that he has fooled these simple Black people into accepting a few compromises without gaining real control and freedom.
Africa for Africans = full freedom and control of her natural resources parlayed to benefit her and her people. Until we are resolved to gain true full freedom we will always be on our knees as beggars. Rise up mighty people and mighty nation. Know your ancient and glorious history. Understand the magnitude of westernization on you and your children so that now you want to flee the wealth and riches of Africa to the wastelands of the west.
When do we understand the the west cannot survive without Africa? Cut them off and you have cut of the oppressor. Do we have the courage or can we too be bought off like Nelson and Kofi and Tutu?
Dear AfricaMan, Thank you very much for your very accurate remarks.I was about to make my own comment regarding the article , but you have said what i wanted to say, only much better, thank you.We must not be afraid to take control of our future, including, control of our resources, institutions, land, etc. When will Africans realize that as far as the West is concerned, Africa could remain impoverished and downtrodden for another thousand years. Meanwhile, Africa continues to be raped and depleted for someone else's benefit. I personally, am very unhappy with the ANC and Mr. Mandela,even though I do have the utmost respect for him. Again, thank you AfricaMan.
At last! Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has told it like it is - the truth! Our people in South Africa are still under the heel of the oppressor. The heel may be that of a Black man with a white mind, but the oppression goes on. Oh, when will we learn the nature of the oppressor we are dealing with here? You cannot compromise or negotiate with this oppressor. His words never mean what they say. They mean whatever he wants them to mean.
Nelson Mandela had the world as his stage and failed to take the opportunity to call upon his people and all Black freedom loving people of the earth to get off their knees and stand up as the original people of earth. This failure has led to the oppressor feeling comfortable that he has fooled these simple Black people into accepting a few compromises without gaining real control and freedom.
Africa for Africans = full freedom and control of her natural resources parlayed to benefit her and her people. Until we are resolved to gain true full freedom we will always be on our knees as beggars. Rise up mighty people and mighty nation. Know your ancient and glorious history. Understand the magnitude of westernization on you and your children so that now you want to flee the wealth and riches of Africa to the wastelands of the west.
When do we understand the the west cannot survive without Africa? Cut them off and you have cut of the oppressor. Do we have the courage or can we too be bought off like Nelson and Kofi and Tutu?
Former Assistant Secretary of State on African Affairs, Chester Crocker said in a testimony to the US Senate, "To separate the Zimbabwean people from ZANU-PF we are going to have to make their economy scream, and I hope you senators have the stomach for what you have to do".
The relationship of the west and the rest of us is modeled on a predator/prey relationship. For an African leader in particular and a 3rd world leader in general to meaningfully address the economic needs of the people, the economic and extractive prerogatives of the west has to be tackled head on. No other way, otherwise, any attempt will be similar to emptying a well with a perforated cup.
For African leaders and others who tried to fight such trade injustices and overt resources thievery, the game plan has been to launch negative pr campaigns, fund opposition groups, assassinate, coup détats, trade embargo, etc.
Mugabe is the latest of a long line of true leaders who paid severely for fighting for ownership. Nkrumah , Sankara, Lumumba, Amilcar Cabral, Sekou Toure, Fidel Castro Allende of Chile, Arbenz, Samora Machel, Nehanda, Yaa Asantewa of Ghana, Arafat, Aristide of Haiti, Dessalines of Haiti, Samore Toure of Guinea, Malcolm X, ML King, Marcus Garvey, WEB Dubois, and lastly Zelaya of Honduras who was elected and yet overthrown in an Obama administration instigated coup a few months back, all were murdered, exiled, economically isolated through embargos, overthrown or a combination of all mentioned options because the tried to obstruct subjugation!
This is the test when an African leader is praised by the west, you should know that beneath the surface, there is something wrong with that so called leader. Tvangarai, Moise Tsombe, Mobutu, Kofi Annan, Condoleezza, C. Powell, , Bufallo Soldiers, Obama and many other sheep dogs readily come to mind
Thanks for having the guts, Mrs. Mandela. What has he done for the continent since? He definitely has become a money machine. What a shame. He is overrated. Everything the white people endorse, scrutinize. He was ok until he pimped his name and title. Why is it that wrongs to blacks always must be forgiven, but the Jews' plight is still being lamented?
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