Denise Jannah

“There is much that must be said, and there is much that must be made right – also here in the Netherlands. I am naturally against inequality, apartheid, and the oppression of people of color. This stems from my Surinamese history. I come in part from ancestors who were forced into slavery; many of my ancestors were degraded and robbed of their human dignity. Winnie Madikizela Mandela was made a victim of the extremely ingenious and devious system of apartheid. Literally clearing her out of the way would have made her a martyr. It was much more effective to destroy her good name. This show is a tribute to Winne Madikizela Mandela and everything she stood for. It is also a reconsideration of her importance; without her, Nelson Mandela would never have become so famous. In the end, she was shoved to the side even though she made sure that Nelson was not forgotten during his imprisonment. Winnie had to endure a lot: imprisonment, mistreatment, exile, and separation from her children. Yet all of this was unable to break her. Nelson had so much to thank this woman for – the woman he was married to – although their married life was not able to play much of a role. ‘I was the most unmarried woman,’ she once said.”