WINNIE WINS BATTLE WITH COPS

A judge in Johannesburg today threw out search warrants that were used bySouth African police to raid Winnie Mandela's Soweto homethree weeks ago. Police were investigating whether the deputy Cabinet minister and estranged wife of President Nelson Mandela took bribes to secure government contracts for a firm that she wanted to take over. The judge ruled that a local magistrate improperly acted on a police request for the warrants. He ordered police to return documents seized in the raid. But they still have papers seized from the firm. "Police said this makes no difference to the probe that's going on," says TIME South Africa reporter Peter Hawthorne. "She's not out of the woods yet." Although Mrs. Mandela's criticisms of the government, an unauthorized foreign trip, and the raids fueled speculation that she would be fired, Mr. Mandela has not decided how to deal with her antics.