What’s it like to be a woman, an activist, and black? When do you rebel and seize your rightful place? In Dear Winnie, stories by nine actresses, singers and performers with African roots (from among others South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Cape Verde, Suriname and the Caribbean islands) are interwoven with that of Winnie Mandela, activist against the apartheid regime. Stories about shared history, connected to those of the Netherlands, filled with power, ruthless honesty and the seeds of inspiration and hope.

During the battle against apartheid, ANC resistance fighter Maurice Mthombeni wrote a letter to his confidante, Winnie Madikizela, better known as Winnie Mandela. The letter was however intercepted by the apartheid regime and published in the national newspaper of South Africa, in order to sow division within the ANC. Maurice Mthombeni fled to Europe and continued the battle from afar.

His son, director and KVS face Junior Mthombeni, long had the idea of creating a performance around Winnie Mandela. Now, within the current European climate of disunity that pits people against one another, he found the time ripe to use Winnie Mandela as a source of inspiration on stage. The performance doesn’t only relate to this particular woman who, despite humiliation, abuse and exile, continued her resistance against the apartheid regime with untiring vigour – it also wants to emphasise what we today can learn from her characteristic fighting spirit.