Questions over wedding officer
Two different versions regarding clergyman
QUESTIONS are being asked about the marriage officer at the wedding of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. The marriage officer is recorded as GGK Madikiza, a former Methodist Church minister, on an allegedly fraudulent certificate annexed to the couple’s divorce files in the Gauteng High Court.
In court papers lodged earlier this week, Madikizela-Mandela said the marriage officer was a “Mr Gamndana”.
This issue is one of several discrepancies which will be brought before court when Madikizela-Mandela applies for the rescission of the divorce order on grounds that the marriage certificate was fraudulent.
If successful, Madikizela-Mandela will be entitled to half of Mandela’s estate, valued at more than R40-million.
Despite Madikizela-Mandela’s allegations, the Saturday Dispatch this week tracked down the son of GGK Madikiza – Victor Madikiza – who said his father had officiated over the1958 wedding. “I remember the day they got married,” he said, adding he was a teenager at the time.
“My father was the reverend at the Ludeke (Methodist Church) society. He was the one who officiated over the wedding.”
Madikiza said Reverend Gamndana was still preparing to go into the ministry at the time. “He was still a teacher at that time,” he said. “He was ordained in 1960 and left for Johannesburg.”
When shown the certificate Madikiza said he found it odd that the witnesses and marriage officer only wrote down their names and did not sign the document. “Normally one would be required to put their signatures and not (only) print their full names.”
He said the initials and name on the document belonged to his father but there was no signature. He said the Methodist Church society at Ludeke had more members than the society at Madikizela-Mandela’s Mbongweni Village. “Ludeke was the main mission, they (the Mandelas) did not want to get married at the small society. They came in buses from Mbongweni,” he recalled.
GGK Madikiza’s eldest son, Edmond, who was also in his teens at the time, confirmed that his father officiated at the wedding.
“I was there as well, my younger brother was in the choir which performed at the wedding. Gamndana was a teacher at the time. He served under my father before he was ordained,” said Edmond.
Madikizela-Mandela’s lawyer, Mvuzo Notyesi said his client was the one who had got married and therefore would know who had officiated at her wedding. — abongilem@dispatch.co.za