Struggle for Freedom

In a HARDtalk interview broadcast on 7 November, David Jessel talks to Elinor Sisulu, the daughter-in-law of Walter Sisulu, about South Africa's freedom struggle.

Elinor Sisulu is both Walter Sisulu's daughter-in-law and his biographer.

Her book 'Walter and Albertina Sisulu: In our lifetime' tells the story of their relationship as much as it tells the story of South Africa's freedom struggle.

Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu had a strongly complementary relationship.

Quoting a British journalist's description of the two, Elinor Sisulu tells BBC World Television's HARDtalk that "Mandela was the star and Sisulu was the producer."

However, she says he never resented the nature of the relationship.

"He was out to identify talent, and he was clear about the value of Mandela to the [ANC] - the personality, the charisma and the charm."

trial

Sisulu and Mandela were prepared to die when he stood trial for treason, in the famous Rivonia trial of.

Elinor Sisulu says Albertina Sisulu was also prepared for the possibility her husband would be executed.

"I remember he said she told him the day before sentence was passed, that 'if they sentence you to death you must be calm and you must not disgrace us.'"

Thatcher

Despite former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's refusal to implement sanctions against South Africa, Elinor Sisulu says neither her father-in-law nor Mandela were personally hostile to Thatcher.

"I was always interested that there was never any personal animus from either Walter or Mandela against Margaret Thatcher. They disagreed with her totally but they always had this ability that even if someone is your enemy you should still treat them with respect."

However, Nelson Mandela's former wife Winnie Mandela comes off poorly when compared to Walter Sisulu's wife Albertina Sisulu.

"Albertina was the soul of consistency and constancy and Winnie was quixotic and capricious."

She says relations between the two women were "cold".

Winnie Mandela is "absolutely fascinating figure" according to Elinor Sisulu, but politically very difficult , and she caused a lot of division and confusion.

Despite that, Elinor Sisulu says she does not know of any occasion when Winnie Mandela was disciplined by Walter Sisulu.

"He said if ever he had a fault it was that he tended to be on the soft side in that way.

"He was very forgiving."

HARDtalk can be seen on BBC World at 04:30 GMT, 11:30 GMT, 15:30 GMT, 19:30 GMT and 00:30 GMT

It can also be seen on BBC News 24 at 04:30 and 23:30