The Trials of Winnie Mandela

"Who holds 100% of Sainthood?"

Directed by the late, two-time Emmy Award®-winning documentary filmmaker Mandy Jacobson, the series unfolds from the perspective of Madikizela-Mandela’s granddaughters, HRH Princess Zaziwe Manaway (née Dlamini) and HRH Princess Swati Mandela-Dlamini, who is also credited as a producer, as they set out to find the essence of their iconic grandmother, affectionately known to them as ‘Big Mommy’. Through their journey, the story pieces together a portrait shaped by personal accounts, family memory, and public record.

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Created By	Mandy Jacobson C.A. van Aswegen Ivor Ichikowitz
Status	Ended
Original Name	The Trials of Winnie Mandela
First Air Date	April 23, 2026
Last Air Date	April 23, 2026
Seasons	1
Episodes	7
Episode Runtime	0min
Language	English
Original Language	English
Production Countries	—
Production Companies
Networks	Netflix

S01E07

Chapter 7: WINIFRED NOMZAMO ZANYIWE MANDELA MADIKIZELA (2013 – 2018)

More than two decades after they were last seen alive in Winnie’s backyard, the remains of two young activists are exhumed from an unmarked grave in Soweto. Their bodies are finally returned to their parents. No legal process follows. Winnie denies any knowledge of their murders. Five years later, she dies. Forty thousand mourners gather at her funeral. A nation grieves – still divided. In the end, Swati and Zaziwe are left holding the question that has shadowed every chapter: whose violence is forgiven, whose suffering is erased – and who, if anyone, ever holds 100 percent of sainthood?

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