Publications
Partners
THIS first week of Mandla Mandela’s first barrage of accusations against his aunt and other members of the Mandela family is nothing short of captivating.
On one level, the case is straightforward: if Mandla had not moved - some say stolen - his late father, uncle and aunt’s remains from Qunu to Mvezo in 2011, we would not have had questions asked publicly about his aunt’s interest in this matter as she is no longer a Mandela.
That is the rational argument. But there are more complex issues that need to be tackled in this matter. I will address them later in this piece.
Before launching a vitriolic attack on his brother Ndaba and aunt, Makaziwe, Nelson Mandela's grandson on Thursday said he had dropped the court challenge about his family’s graves.
“I was denied the right to be heard. I will not challenge this further, it will serve no purpose," he told reporters on Thursday.
"In the past few days I have been the subject of attacks from all sorts of individuals wanting a few minutes of fame and media attention at my expense."
Mandla Mandela said he was saddened by Wednesday's court verdict and was certain it was flawed.
He made these comments after the Eastern Cape High Court rejected Mandla’s application to stop the digging up of the old man’s three deceased children.
A group of Mandela family members - led by his aunt Makaziwe – contacted the court of law to have the remains of former president Nelson Mandela’s late children dug up and returned to the family graveyard in Qunu.
The complexities of this matter, it seems to me, hinge on some critical questions, some of which we may never entirely know the replies to.
When did Mandla know that his family was unhappy with the fact that he had removed remains of the three children from Qunu to Mvezo?
The answer could prove to us whether the old man’s ill-health could have sparked underlying conflict within the family.
This on the surface could seem probable. But it’s possible that Makaziwe and her cohorts have been waiting for the old man to be incapacitated first before making their move.
It’s also likely that the cold war between the youthful Thembu chief and his aunts had been bubbling under, with each one waiting for an opportune moment to make stunning disclosures against the other.
Mandla made some startling revelations about the identity of the mother of his brother, Ndaba. His disclosures could make The New York Times bestseller list.
I have a feeling that Makaziwe is going to respond to the accusations made by her nephew that she is not a Mandela at all because she was married to a certain Dr Isaac Amuah.
If Mandla refused to listen to his aunt's counsel, as it is implied now, did she at some point raise her concerns before the bodies were removed from Qunu?
There has been testimony establishing that there was some sort of verbal interaction between Mandla and his aunt before the chief left a meeting in a huff recently.
It seems the youthful chief could have been caught by surprise by the aunt’s demand.
What did Makaziwe say that made the chief angry? Did Makaziwe strike the first blow, as she always does?
Late last week, she blatantly attacked the international media gathered at the hospital where her father is recovering from a severe lung infection, accusing them of being racist.
- Fin24
*Mzwandile Jacks is a freelance journalist. Opinions expressed are his own.
On one level, the case is straightforward: if Mandla had not moved - some say stolen - his late father, uncle and aunt’s remains from Qunu to Mvezo in 2011, we would not have had questions asked publicly about his aunt’s interest in this matter as she is no longer a Mandela.
That is the rational argument. But there are more complex issues that need to be tackled in this matter. I will address them later in this piece.
Before launching a vitriolic attack on his brother Ndaba and aunt, Makaziwe, Nelson Mandela's grandson on Thursday said he had dropped the court challenge about his family’s graves.
“I was denied the right to be heard. I will not challenge this further, it will serve no purpose," he told reporters on Thursday.
"In the past few days I have been the subject of attacks from all sorts of individuals wanting a few minutes of fame and media attention at my expense."
Mandla Mandela said he was saddened by Wednesday's court verdict and was certain it was flawed.
He made these comments after the Eastern Cape High Court rejected Mandla’s application to stop the digging up of the old man’s three deceased children.
A group of Mandela family members - led by his aunt Makaziwe – contacted the court of law to have the remains of former president Nelson Mandela’s late children dug up and returned to the family graveyard in Qunu.
The complexities of this matter, it seems to me, hinge on some critical questions, some of which we may never entirely know the replies to.
When did Mandla know that his family was unhappy with the fact that he had removed remains of the three children from Qunu to Mvezo?
The answer could prove to us whether the old man’s ill-health could have sparked underlying conflict within the family.
This on the surface could seem probable. But it’s possible that Makaziwe and her cohorts have been waiting for the old man to be incapacitated first before making their move.
It’s also likely that the cold war between the youthful Thembu chief and his aunts had been bubbling under, with each one waiting for an opportune moment to make stunning disclosures against the other.
Mandla made some startling revelations about the identity of the mother of his brother, Ndaba. His disclosures could make The New York Times bestseller list.
I have a feeling that Makaziwe is going to respond to the accusations made by her nephew that she is not a Mandela at all because she was married to a certain Dr Isaac Amuah.
If Mandla refused to listen to his aunt's counsel, as it is implied now, did she at some point raise her concerns before the bodies were removed from Qunu?
There has been testimony establishing that there was some sort of verbal interaction between Mandla and his aunt before the chief left a meeting in a huff recently.
It seems the youthful chief could have been caught by surprise by the aunt’s demand.
What did Makaziwe say that made the chief angry? Did Makaziwe strike the first blow, as she always does?
Late last week, she blatantly attacked the international media gathered at the hospital where her father is recovering from a severe lung infection, accusing them of being racist.
- Fin24
*Mzwandile Jacks is a freelance journalist. Opinions expressed are his own.
