No fire pool for Tata
‘Everything was built with my grandfather’s money’
FORMER president Nelson Mandela’s Qunu home does not have a fire pool. Daughter Makaziwe Mandela and grandchildren Ndaba and Ndileka Mandela said it was nothing more than an ordinary swimming pool – paid for by their late grandfather.
Police Minister Nathi Nhleko, addressing the National Press Club in Pretoria on the Nkandla security upgrades, showed the media an image of Mandela’s Qunu home and said: “It also has a fire pool.”
He was further quoted as saying a cattle culvert and walkway were also constructed in the Eastern Cape at the expense of the state.
“It also had two dams in Qunu, but the dam for crops is too far from the house and the second dam for livestock was also far from the homestead. So he had the pool in the middle of the homestead.”
Ndaba said the pool was constructed between 2001 and 2002. He was adamant the house was not built using state funds. “Whether there is a pool or not, everything was built with my grandfather’s money.”
Ndileka echoed Ndaba’s sentiments and said the government never contributed to the construction of Mandela’s house.
“First and foremost, that house was not built by government, it was built with my granddad’s money.
“Even if there was a fire pool it was not built by government, and that is not a fire pool, it is a swimming pool.”
A public works document on security upgrades at presidential homes, released in 2013, revealed that R28.2- million was spent on Mandela’s Qunu home.
The upgrades included electric pallisade fencing, an elevator, a guardhouse, automatic gates, security cameras and an alarm system.
His daughter Makaziwe Mandela said: “What fire pool? That’s nonsense. My father built that house for himself with his own money.” She declined to comment further. A family member, who declined to be named, said the pool was a normal swimming pool used by the family.
“There is no fire pool there or anything of that kind. Even the cattle underpass was not made for the cattle on Madiba’s farm.
“It was made for the community. The farm is big enough for the cattle to graze without leaving the yard.”
Police ministry spokesman Musa Zondi said the Daily Dispatch should ask the department of public works questions relating to the buildings of former presidents.
When told that the Mandela family disputed Nhleko’s statement, Zondi said: “I will not discuss that.
“If you have any questions, the department of public works will be in a position to answer you.”
The national public works director of media and stakeholder relations, Thami Mchunu, said he would respond to Daily Dispatch questions today.
The cattle culvert referred to by Nhleko was constructed beneath the busy N2 and links Qunu villages on both sides of the road.
It is situated outside the homestead and is used by members of the community and livestock to avoid accidents on the N2 highway.
Qunu resident Ntombentsha Hako was yesterday surprised to learn of the minister’s statements.
“All I know is that the culvert is used by livestock when shepherds take them to graze in the fields across the road. Children use it often to walk between the villages.
“Ever since it was made there have been no accidents but before children would be hit by cars travelling at high speed. I think it was constructed around 2004 after a car knocked over a child who was crossing the road.” —