Mandela Trial Goes On; Key Witness to Testify

The trial of Winnie Mandela on kidnaping and assault charges was salvaged today after a key prosecution witness reluctantly agreed to testify despite the unexplained abduction of a fellow witness.

In a day of drama, prosecutor Jan Swanepoel told the Rand Supreme Court that police had failed to find one of his star witnesses, Gabriel Mekgwe, kidnaped over the weekend from the protection of a Soweto church.

He told reporters that he feared he could not continue with the trial against the wife of African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela and three co-defendants because other key witnesses were now afraid to testify.

However, the prosecution case was saved for the time being when Swanepoel announced after a three-hour adjournment that at least one witness, Kenneth Kgase, had reluctantly agreed to appear in court Wednesday.

But lawyers for Kgase are expected to argue against their client’s giving evidence, citing the disappearance of Mekgwe as intimidation.

The prosecution alleges that Kgase, Mekgwe, 14-year-old Stompie Seipei and another anti-apartheid activist were kidnaped by Mandela and her associates two years ago and beaten, whipped and kicked while being held hostage at her house.