It has been announced that Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson, will play the life of the former wife of Nelson Mandela in the new biopic, Winnie.
When asked about accepting the role, Jennifer replied:
“I was compelled and moved when I read the script. Winnie Mandela is a complex and extraordinary woman and I’m honored to be the actress asked to portray her. This is a powerful part of history that should be told.”
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, born 26 September 1936 was married to Nelson Mandela for many years and was a fighter against apartheid as Nelson is. She too was jailed for her campaigning.
Although still married to Nelson Mandela at the time of his becoming president of South Africa in May 1994, she was never the first lady of South Africa, as the couple had separated two years earlier after revelations that Winnie had been unfaithful after Nelson's release from prison in February 1990. The final divorce went through on 19 March 1996.
As a controversial activist, she is popular among her supporters, who refer to her as the 'Mother of the Nation', yet reviled by others, mostly due to her alleged involvement in several human rights abuses, including the torture and murder of 14-year old Stompie Moeketsi in 1989.
In March 2009, the Independent Electoral Commission ruled that Winnie Mandela, who was selected as an ANC candidate, could run in the April 2009 general election, despite having a fraud conviction. **
A film I definitely want to see
