Durban: Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the ex-wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, was on April 25 sentenced to five years in prison, with one year suspended, on 43 charges of fraud and 25 of theft.

Magistrate Peet Johnson of the Pretoria Regional Court sentenced her to a five-year jail term with one year suspended sentence on condition that she does not commit a similar crime.

Madikizela-Mandela would serve only a short period of her sentence in prison, after which she would be required to do community service, as the court took into consideration the hardships she had endured, her age, and the role she had played in the community.

Madikizela-Mandela was on April 24 found guilty by the court on charges of fraud and theft to the tune of one million Rand ($ 131,000).

Her co-accused Addy Moolan was given seven years in jail with two years suspended sentence on the same condition as for Madikizela- Mandela.

PTI