Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's life explored in new Netflix series produced by her granddaughters
via The Citizen3 min read
A new seven-part Netflix series, "The Trials of Winnie Mandela," will premiere next Thursday, offering an in-depth look at Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's life. The project, which took 12 years to produce, was a passion for her granddaughters, Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini-Mandela. They state that the series examines every part of the "Mother of the Nation's" life, as she wished. Dlamini-Manaway remembers her grandmother as a confidant and the best person she knew, while Dlamini-Mandela highlights her legacy as the love of her people, noting Madikizela-Mandela's insistence on staying in Soweto among her community. The granddaughters emphasize that Madikizela-Mandela insisted her entire story be told, regardless of difficulty, and gave her approval and input throughout the production. The project originated from a prison diary Madikizela-Mandela kept during her detention, which was returned to her in 2011 and later published as "491 Days: Prisoner Number 1323/69." The Ichikowitz Family Foundation approached Madikizela-Mandela to turn it into a documentary as part of their African Oral History Archive project. The sisters believe the series allows their grandmother to tell her story in her own words, ensuring women's voices are heard in the country's history. The title "The Trials of Winnie Mandela" reflects both her given name Nomzamo and the life she lived, serving as a beacon of hope for women facing their own trials. They believe her story is highly relevant today an
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