When the Johannesburg attorney general decided to prosecute Mrs. Mandela last September, she publicly welcomed the indictment as a chance to clear her name. Defense attorneys obtained a postponement of the trial, but two weeks ago the ANC charged that the trial had been scheduled for February for political reasons. Nelson Mandela is expected to accompany his wife to court–and if the trial lasts several weeks, as expected, his attendance could slow down the timetable, for starting talks on a new constitution.
Police disclosed last week that four of Mrs. Mandela’s codefendants skipped bail in December; their whereabouts are unknown. But their disappearance is not expected to delay the trial, which dozens of journalists from Fleet Street and elsewhere are jetting in to cover. If convicted of kidnapping, Mrs. Mandela could theoretically be sentenced to death. But with so much riding on talks between her husband’s ANC and the government, Pretoria may well grant her a presidential pardon if she is found guilty.
