Durban - Mandla Mandela, grandson of former president Nelson Mandela, on Sunday hit out at some his relatives, saying their actions were destroying the elderly statesman’s legacy.
Mandla, chief of Mvezo, was referring to actions by his aunts, Zenani and Makaziwe Mandela, who in May approached the courts in a bid to have George Bizos, Tokyo Sexwale and Barney Chuene removed as directors and trustees of the Mandela Trust.
“He started the trust so his descendants could go to school not for anyone to pocket it, or for anyone to use it for overseas trips,” he said, addressing members of the eThekwini Community Church (ECC) where he was a guest. He said these actions were impairing the former president’s dignity and amounted to abuse.
“You members of the ECC have been putting on your prayers, but what are his own children doing? They even go to the extent of saying he is in a vegetative state.”
Mandla has himself been taken to court by Makaziwe and other family members.
They wanted the remains of three of Mandela’s children, including Mandla’s father, to be exhumed from Mvezo, the young traditional leader’s homestead, and re-interred in Qunu, where the former president’s home is situated.
The location of the graves is central to determining where Mandela would be buried, as he is said to have indicated he wanted to be buried next to his children.
Yesterday, Mandla said he had been targeted by his aunts following his refusal to join them in the legal action pertaining to the trust.
He said it was not a mistake that Mandela had chosen who he chose to head the trust.
Mandla also lashed out at AbaThembu king Dalindyebo for his attack on Zuma.
The controversial king recently jumped ship from the ANC to join the rival DA, and has been making unsavoury remarks about President Jacob Zuma, recently referring to him as a “Zulu boy”.
Daily News