Feuds put ‘curse’ on Mandelas
Elders say family rows prevent Mandela from ‘letting go‘ because ‘his soul is not at peace‘
turned to their original graves.
The sheriff of the court could not deliver the order on Friday because huge gates, erected the day before, prevented access to Mandla’s Mvezo home. His lawyers were informed.
It is understood that Mandla will contest the order. He has until tonight to oppose it.
An insider said that Mandla had “a history of having complete disrespect for the law, but in this case he knows he has caused his grandfather and the Mandela family a lot of pain and embarrassment”.
The Eastern Cape premier, Noxolo Kiviet, and the province’s health MEC, Sicelo Gqobana — cited as co-respondents in the court action — did not oppose the application.
Health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said the department would “abide by the order of the court”.
Attorney Wesley Hayes, who represented the Mandelas, confirmed yesterday that the order was granted, but said that the contents of the papers submitted to court and Judge NELSON Mandela “cannot let go” because his spirit is so deeply troubled by the feuding in his family.
The Sunday Times understands this was part of the submissions that were made during Friday’s urgent court application in the High Court in Mthatha to have the remains of three of Mandela’s children — Makgatho, Thembekile and Makaziwe — moved from Mvezo back to Qunu.
Elders from the Mandela family and local chiefs believe that Mandela’s prolonged ill health could be attributed to the ancestors being angry with grandson Mandla Mandela’s actions in reburying Mandela’s children in Mvezo in 2011.
The elders fear that the ancestors could have “cursed” the Mandela family, causing Mandela’s lingering ill health.
“Mandela’s soul is not at peace. The ancestors will only be appeased once the remains of the Mandela family are reburied in Qunu. Only then will Tata be released.
“Mandla himself also has to ask the ancestors for forgiveness. He has to go to the grave site and plead with them. This is what is holding Tata back,” said one of the local chiefs.
Another Tembu chief, who asked to remain anonymous, echoed this sentiment.
He said the reason the military ambulance broke down while taking Mandela to a Pretoria hospital on June 8 was that the former president had not wanted to be taken to hospital and would rather just die.
“Mandela should be brought back to Qunu to pass on peacefully instead of being kept alive by machines in Pretoria,” the chief said.
The family approached lawyers after Tuesday’s meeting at Mandela’s house in Qunu, where the exhumation of the Mandela children’s remains was discussed.
A fuming Mandla stormed out of that meeting.
The High Court in Mthatha later granted an order after an application by 16 family members, including Mandela’s wife, Graça Machel, and his children, that the bodies should be re-
Once the remains of the Mandela family are reburied in Qunu ... only then will Tata be released
Lusindiso Pakade’s order were “not for public consumption at this stage”.
“The matter was held in chambers and the order was that it be confidential,” said Hayes.
The Sunday Times has learnt that the application contained sensitive information about Mandela’s health, as described by his medical team at the MediClinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria. This information was included to convince the court of the urgency of having the remains removed to Qunu.
The application also detailed Xhosa cultural and traditional practices and said that Mandla’s exhumation of his relatives’ remains — without consent from Mandela family members — had angered their ancestors.
One of Mandela’s closest friends, Nozolile Mtirara, 92, who was married to traditional leader Chief Zwelidumile Mtirara, said Mandla still needed to explain to the family why he removed the remains of Mandela’s children from Qunu.
“No one knows why he removed those remains from those graves. Who gave him permission to remove those remains?”
Tembu King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo last Saturday lashed out at Mandla, claiming his chieftaincy of Mvezo was illegitimate.
Dalindyebo told well-wishers at a prayer service for Mandela at his Bumbane Great Place: “Mandla is not a chief. He is not the heir to Mandela’s chieftaincy. His mother was not married to Mandela’s son Makgato.”
This was the second time the king had questioned Mandla Mandela’s chieftaincy.
Local chiefs this week said that when Mandela selected Mandla as his successor as chief of Mvezo in 2007, his duties were said to involve tribal ceremonies and settling disputes among tribe members.
But Mandla had bigger plans for the role.
In response to claims that his chieftaincy was illegitimate, Mandla said last year: “I represented my grandfather on many occasions, even when he was in prison, but today there are people who claim I’m not
Mandla said last year: “I represented my grandfather on many occasions, even when he was in prison, but today there are people who claim I’m not known within the Mandela family.”
Over the past five years, Mandla has used his grandfather’s influence to strong-arm the government and the private sector to spend millions beefing up the infrastructure in Mvezo, particularly his homestead. To date, the government has spent more than R150million in boosting Mvezo’s image as a tourism destination.
Responding to questions in parliament last November, the Department of Tourism revealed that it had spent R43.2-million on the construction of a cultural centre, backpackers’ lodge and self-catering accommodation, paved roads and landscaping of Mandla’s homestead. The project, which includes a guard house, an entertain- ment area, a lapa, the upgrading of electricity and water reservoirs, is scheduled for completion next week.
The National Lotteries Board contributed R8-million towards the development. The government has spent more than R100-million on a 10km block-paved road and bridges that link Mvezo to the N2. The road, which was officially opened in May, stops at the entrance to Mvezo Great Place.
Dalindyebo said the royal household had initially supported Mandla’s efforts for Mvezo.
“We used to back Mandla, unaware we were backing a scoundrel,” he said.
“The fact that he was taken to court by the rest of the family confirms his isolation by the whole clan.”
Dalindyebo said although it was uncomfortable to discuss Mandela’s death, Mandla had to know that he was not the head of the Mandela family.
“Even if Mandela dies, who is going to be the executor of his will? Mandla can’t be the executor. We can’t listen to anyone who doesn’t know anything about Mandela.”
Dalindyebo said Mandla’s brother Ndaba was the legitimate heir to the Mandela chieftaincy: “Ndaba Mandela is the heir. He should be the chief.”
Mandla, Ndaba and Mbuso are the sons of Nelson Mandela’s late son Makgatho, who died in 2005.
On Friday, Dalindyebo said Mandla had been “isolated” not only from his own family, but by the Madiba clan of which he is a member.
Mandla, an ANC MP, has outraged his family by trying secretly to finalise plans to have Mandela buried in the remote village of Mvezo.
This week, close relatives, members of the Tembu royal household and senior ANC members revealed that Mandla had thrown the government and family’s arrangements into disarray.
A draft schedule circulated by the Government Communication and Information System in 2010 shows a proposed burial site in Qunu.
On Friday, the Mail & Guardian reported that Mandela had written a will on a single page instructing his family to let the state hold its ceremonies, but to bury him in Qunu.
The will, dating back to 1997 according to the newspaper, made it clear that Mandela envisaged a “garden of memory” at the same location.
Meanwhile, workers were this week putting the final touches to the family’s new private cemetery, to be known as the Garden of Memory, inside Mandela’s homestead in Qunu.
The once barren and rocky patch of land, behind a stone wall and rusted gate, is barely visible from the N2.
Since Thursday, motorists have stopped outside the homestead to leave flowers at the security gate for the ailing statesman.