Winnie Mandela has been described as „the mother of the Black people of South Africa….. the incarnation of the Black spirit”.

Since her exile to the Orange Free State, Winnie Mandela has lived under constant surveillance and crippling restrictions – she can only meet one person at a time, is banned from public neetings and schools, cannot travel without permission, and her contact with her husband is severely limited.

Though the political system remains unchanged (despite government claims of „reforms”), the Mandelas provide hope. They are seen by Whites in South Africa as a symbol of unrest, by the Blacks as the embodiment of their aims and beliefs.

In this collection of conversations and letters, Winnie Mandela narrates the remarkable story of her life and political development. Vigorous, often humorous, it is a story as inspiring as that of her husband, Nelson Mandela, leader of the banned African National congress, who has been in prison since 1963.