Ngemuva kokuthi uWinnie akhululwe ekudingisweni eBrandfort wavunyelwa ukuba abuyele ekhaya ngo-1986. Lapho ebuya wathola ukuthi indawo yakubo yayisengozini enkulu yabasha abaqhudelana nezimpikiswano futhi uhulumeni wabeka isimo sengozi.
Ngomzamo wokusiza labo abathintekayo, uWinnie usungule I-Mandela United Football Club (MUFC) iqembu labasha. Ngokudabukisayo, leli qembu liyakhunjulwa kakhulu ngemisebenzi yabo yodlame.
Leli qembu libhekene nabafundi abavela eDaliwonga High School, okwabonisa ukushiswa kwekhaya likaWinnie noNelson Mandela e-Orlando West. Izindaba ezizungeza i-MUFC zibhekene nokuhlaselwa, ukuthunjwa nokuhlushwa. Okuyaziwa kakhulu kulezi kwakuyindaba kaStompie Seipei.
Ngo-1988 uStompie wayengumshicileli oneminyaka engu-14 ubudala owayesenkampani ye-MUFC lapho enyamalala ngolunye usuku. Umzimba wakhe watholakala emaphethelweni aseSoweto. Ushaywe kabi futhi ekugcineni wabulawa ngezingcweti zokulima. Umngani kaWinnie, uDkt. Abu Baker Asvat wayembonile elimele ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe.
U-Asvat ubike ukuthi u-Stompie wayenomonakalo onobungozi obungapheli, ehlanza futhi akwazanga ukudla. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngemuva kokubika lokhu, uDkt Asvat wabulawa amadoda amabili ezenza iziguli.
UWinnie ubhekene nokuphikisana ngenxa yokuxhumana kwakhe ne-Mandela United Football Club (MUFC) nemisebenzi yabo. Kubonakala sengathi iminyaka yokuhlukunyezwa kwakhe nejele nokuxoshwa kwakunzima kuWinnie futhi wabonakala njengesosha. Kwaba namahemuhemu ukuthi indlela yakhe yayiba yinto enobudlova nokulwa nempi.
Enye yezinkulumo zakhe ezidumile, uWinnie wathi, "ndawonye, sibambisene izandla, namabhokisi ethu nemigexo yethu sizokhulula leli zwe." Lokhu kuye kwashiwo ukuthi kubhekisela kumkhuba 'wokugexa', okuyindlela yokubulala yokuphoqa isondo phezu kwesifuba somuntu nokumshisa ngokufanele. Kuthiwa uWinnie wavuma lo mkhuba enkulumweni zakhe futhi waxhunyaniswa nezigameko eziningi zokushisa abantu.
Ngo-1990 ukuvinjelwa kwe-ANC kwaphakanyiswa ngokomthetho. UNelson Mandela kanye nezinye iziboshwa zezombangazwe bakhululwa ejele kanti uWinnie wahlangana nomyeni wakhe ngemuva kweminyaka engu-27. Ngemva kwalokhu, ngokudweba ngokukhululeka, uNelson noWinnie bahambe emihlanganweni, ngokuxhumana nabahamba ngezindaba.
UWinnie Mandela wamiswa njengenhloko ye-ANC yezeNhlalakahle ngoMandulo wonyaka. Ngo-1991, uWinnie nabangani bakhe eMandela United Football Club (MUFC) babekelwa icala ngokuthunjwa nokubulawa kukaStompie Seipei. UWinnie ususwe ngokubulala, kodwa wathola isigwebo sejele iminyaka emihlanu ngenxa yokuthumba kanye nomnyaka owodwa ukuba abe yingxenye yokuhlaselwa.
Lokhu ekugcineni kwanciphisa isigwebo esimisiwe seminyaka emibili kanye nenhlawulo ka-R15 000. Icala nokuphikisana okuzungezile uWinnie Mandela kwathinta umshado wakhe. Isithombe sikaNelson noWinnie njengombhangqwana ojabulayo saqala ukuphela ngoba amahlebezi ahlangene aqala ukuhamba.
Ngo-1992 laba bobabili bamemezela ukuhlukana kwabo, kulandela ukuyeka emsebenzini kukaWinnie kuzo zonke izikhundla zakhe ze-ANC. UWinnie noNelson Mandela bahlukana ngokuphelele ngo-1996.
Translated by Nsika Khoza