A South African court has jailed Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to five years in prison after convicting her of fraud and theft charges.
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Winnie Mandela: 5 years prison sentence
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Pretoria magistrate Peet Johnson sentenced co-accused AddyMoolman, a broker, to seven years in prison, with two suspended, on similar charges arising from bank loans to fictitious employees of the women's league of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
The former wife of ex-South African president Nelson Mandela was president of the women's league.
"Only a fool would underplay your role in the history of this country," Mr Johnson told the liberation struggle heroine.
"Many of your years have been spent at the side of the greatest statesman of modern times and there's no doubt that you've played an important role in the liberation struggle," he said, "but somewhere, something went wrong".
In a written statement released after sentence was passed, Madikizela-Mandela said the outcome had offered an opportunity to refocus her energies and to do what appealed to her inner ideals.
She said she was resigning from all her public posts, whichinclude a parliamentary seat for the ANC.
AFP