Yuh cyaa talk bout Nelson Mandela as the father of South Africa and not mention Winnie Mandela as the mother.

Nelson was the man who was imprisoned and Winnie was that force that kept his name and cause alive, while even putting her own life at risk. Dem seh behind every successful man there is a strong woman, and Winnie was like a tower of strength for rallying the world behind the cause of 'Free Nelson Mandela!'

When she could only send her husband two letter fi di year and only see him once, she was like the youngest 'unmarried' married woman in the world. She coulda give up and gone bout her business, but she stand by Nelson through thick and thin!

Mi hear nuff woman wash dem mout' pon Winnie how she guilty of a bag a tings and how she gi weh di thing. Many have demonised her and by so doing trivialise the important and pivotal role she played in getting Nelson free.

prison system

For all we know, if Winnie neva did a kick up rumpus and a bawl out, Nelson could have easily got lost in the prison system like a Jamaica him deh! It is against this knowledge that I am perturbed by the fact seh Nelson lef out Winnie outta him will! Him neva even mention her in deh, and to me him err big time!

Dem coulda divorce 1,000 years ago, mi no response! Him neva ketch no man pon her and all di man dem weh dem put pon di woman, me neva see Winnie no weh yet wid a man a claims him up! All now di woman name Mandela!

long enough

Somehow, in some quarters, mi no tink Winnie get the love and respect or revere weh she fi get because dem a seh she shoulda 'hol it', but mi think she 'hol it' long enough to the point of getting him freedom. Inna di will, him lef land an money give him widow, and her two pickney dem get US$270,000. Him lef money give him grandchildren and him two kids dem wid Winnie him lef US$300,000 give dem each. Even dat mi still a pree because the widow pickney dem a him step how come fi dem money close to him birth pickney dem so?!

Him lef money give some a him staff, school and all him cook get a money, yet not a line or a letta or a 50 cent stamp fi Winnie! No, Nelson, mi love yuh badly but mi no feel good bout it! All if Winnie did get a ting inna di 1996 divorce settlement she shoulda stil get even a acre a something because all a who come a benefit now wouldn't be doing so if she neva did a march and chart round di wall of Robin Island!

his family

Mi naa seh Winnie lily white or innocent of atrocities and bangarang weh she go get herself mix up inna, but to me if Nelson coulda find it inna him heart to forgive those whites who beat him, oppress him, tek weh him freedom, break up his family, treat him like a animal, abuse and terrorise him family, him coulda forgive Winnie fi whateva! If a even fi write a poem to her inna di will, if a even the clothes weh him come outta prison inna ... something ... anything.

Mi tink fi no mention her none at all is like him lock her weh inna one mental prison! We can't forget Winnie's valuable contribution to the fight for freedom for the father of the South Africa. Because of Winnie Mandela, Nelson made it from prisoner to president!