The Trials of Winnie Mandela

Chapter 2: ZANYIWE - To Be Tested (1977-1988)

Banished to the white conservative town of Brandfort, Winnie is isolated from her family and the movement she represents. Yet exile strengthens her myth. Against all odds she continues her political activity and becomes known around the world as the “Mother of the Nation.” After nine years of enforced silence and loneliness, she defies her banning order and returns to Soweto—angry, damaged, and defiant. Around her, the Mandela United Football Club is formed, with Winnie at its helm. Football is not their purpose. Loyalty, protection and power begin to converge. Watching the myth grow and the circle tighten, Swati and Zaziwe ask: when does leadership become something else entirely?