Mrs Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has been assured of the pastoral support of the Anglican Church and of the prayers of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd Njongonkulu Ndungane.

In a letter hand-delivered to her at the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Archbishop Ndungane reminded Mrs Madikizela-Mandela that when she testified before the Commission regarding events during the difficult years of the fight against apartheid, she should "be assured that what you will say is a matter of conscience, between you and God."

In his letter, Archbishop Ndungane noted that Mrs Madikizela-Mandela was experiencing a time of stress and challenge in her life at present. He said that the pastoral care of the Church for people never stopped, irrespective of situations in which they found themselves or of accusations made about their behaviour.

His letter continued, "In the years of the struggle to end apartheid, you provided a beacon of hope for countless numbers of people. The stands you took, many of which resulted in your being persecuted by the then government, were respected at the time by the vast majority of those who desired an end to our oppressive existence. No-one can take this away, nor can they deny the influential role you played in leveraging change.

"As you take the witness stand at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, to testify about events during those difficult years, be assured that what you will say is a matter of conscience, between you and God."