Visiting her husband in prison was a difficult task. Her daughters were not able to visit until they reached the age of sixteen when they were allowed the first "contact" visits. In 1986 Winnie described how hard she found these moments:

 "Taking them at that age to their father, their father of that stature was so traumatic. It was one of the most painful moments actually. And I could see the strain on my children both before the visit and for quite some time after. It was only about 18 months ago that they were able to touch him, to hug him and kiss him and they are women already..."