Mrs Madela was a historical drama on BBC 4 that tackled the controversial character of Winnie Mandela, who rose to prominence in apartheid dominated South Africa. It’s a historical biography that spans many years with Nelson Mandela’s arrest taking place in 1963 and his freedom not coming about until February 1990, during which time Winnie had become a prominent political figure herself.
Initially screening on BBC 4 at 9pm on the 25th January 2010, Mrs Mandela is a dramatisation of Winnie Mandela’s rise through the ranks of the African National Congress (ANC), her fight for the release of her husband from his 27 year imprisonment. It also covered her own time in prison, the torture that she was forced to endure and her eventual divorce from Nelson Mandela in 1996.
Other big issues that will come under scrutiny in the drama are the accusations of kidnapping, murder and other human rights violations that have been laid at Winnie Mandela’s feet. With her ties to the torture and murder of 14 year-old James Seipei (AKA Stompie Moeketsi) in 1989 (her bodyguard was convicted of the crime) and her veiled calls to violence during the battle with apartheid, it was interesting to see how the BBC drama dealt with these elements of her life.
The lead role for the 1 hour and 30 minutes TV film was played by Sophie Okonedo (The Secret Life of Bees) who was nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role in Hotel Rwanda.
Filmed in and around Soweto, the drama also stars David Harewood (Blood Diamond) as Nelson Mandela and David Morrissey (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin) who played Theunis Swanepoel, the notorious security officer that interrogated Winnie during her imprisonment.
As well as the initial screening, Mrs Mandela also aired on BB2 during the same week, as well as featuring on iPlayer. However, it is no longer available on the streaming service and it wasn’t released on DVD or for digital download.
