Mandla Mandela – praag.org

Why is Rhodes University really funding the ‘indigent’ Mandelas?

The Sunday Times revealed recently that the Rhodes University law clinic provided funding to Makaziwe Mandela and 15 other members of the Mandela clan to engage in a public spat about their inheritance.

The funding helped an order forcing Mandla Mandela to move the remains of three of Nelson Mandela’s children from Mvezo Great Place to Qunu which the Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha issued.

The university is standing by its law clinic’s decision to fund 16 members of the Mandela family, who apparently qualified for aid as indigents.

Part of the reason for the clinic’s decision, the university said on Tuesday, was because Mandla Mandela appeared to be silencing the voices of women in the Mandela family.

This meant that the case fell within the clinic’s mandate to pursue cases that “impact on the human rights and socio-economic conditions of disadvantaged communities”. The university says Hayes was acting in accordance with this “strategic objective”.

Their instructing attorney in that court application was Wesley Hayes, who is also a the deputy director of the law clinic. Hayes was previously known to the Mandela family.

Also on Sunday, Mandla Mandela visited his grandfather in hospital in Pretoria, declaring afterwards that Nelson Mandela’s health was improving. Makaziwe’s laywer earlier described Mandela’s state as “vegetative”.

He said he had asked his lawyers to write to the Rhodes vice-chancellor Saleem Badat to discuss the reasons why the law clinic saw fit to provide the funding.

An objective of the Rhodes University Law Clinic is to provide free legal advice and services to people who are deemed to be indigent.

Critics say there is no logic in the university’s stance that “a number” of the Mandela applicants were indigent.

“This is the Mandela family we are talking about. How does a Mandela family member become indigent?” said Mandla’s laywer Pilusa.

He said Mandla Mandela suspected the university had an alternative agenda in funding his aunt and others’ court application “that would force them [the clinic] to depart from the normal procedure, which looks at real indigent families”.

“Even the reasons given, that one or two of the Mandelas are indigent, doesn’t make any sense. It’s really a very odd situation,” said Pilusa. – M&G

‘Mandela is not in a vegetative state’

The American educated Makaziwe Mandela says her grandfather is in a vegetative state

Doctors treating former president Nelson Mandela have denied that he is in a vegetative state, the Presidency said on Thursday.

“We confirm our earlier statement released this afternoon after President Jacob Zuma visited Madiba in hospital that Madiba remains in a critical, but stable condition,” spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement.

He said Mandela was under the care of a “multi-disciplinary” panel of medical experts drawn from the South African Military Health Services, the public and private sector, and universities.

“Under this panel, a team of doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health professionals attend to Madiba on a 24-hour basis.”

The statement from the Presidency came after court documents surfaced stating that Mandela was in a “permanent vegetative state” and that his family had been advised to turn off his life-support machine.

The certificate of urgency dated June 27 and submitted to the Eastern Cape High Court was widely reported by local and international media. A copy was obtained by Sapa.

In it, an advocate for the American educated Makaziwe Mandela said he had been advised by his instructing attorney that Mandela’s condition had “taken a turn for the worst (sic)” and that the “Mandela family” – ie Makaziwe and her supporters – have “been advised by the medical practitioners that his life-support machines should be switched off”.

“Rather than prolonging his suffering, the Mandela family is exploring this option as a very real probability.”

The document was attributed to David Smith, an advocate representing 15 members of the “Mandela family” in a court case against Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela.

In the document, Smith described Mandela’s health as perilous, and said he was in a permanent vegetative state and was being assisted in breathing by a life-support machine.

“Affidavits will be provided, at the hearing of this application, from his treating physicians that he is in a permanent vegetative state and is assisted in breathing by a life-support machine,” he said.

“The anticipation of his impending death is based on real and substantial grounds.”

A later version of the document filed in the court omitted the paragraphs referring to Mandela’s “vegetative state” and the advice by physicians to take Mandela off life support.

A lawyer for the Mandela family later said the original certificate of urgency was “merely a submission outside of court”.

“To the extent there is speculation, a certificate of urgency was filed in terms of the practice of our court,” said Wesley Hayes, who represented the family in the dispute with Mandla Mandela about the graves of his father and his grandfather’s other two children.

“The certificate is not evidence, but merely submissions on why a matter should be heard outside ordinary court sittings.”

Hayes said the ruling on the urgency of the matter had been made “in camera” and that this “would extend to the contents of the certificate of urgency”.

“Further than that we have no comment,” he said.

On Wednesday, the Eastern Cape High Court ordered Mandla Mandela to return the remains of his grandfather’s three children to Qunu from Mvezo, where he moved them two years ago.

The remains were those of Mandela’s eldest son Madiba Thembekile, who died in a car accident in 1969; Mandla Mandela’s father Makgatho Mandela, who died in 2005; and Mandela’s first daughter Makaziwe Mandela, who died as an infant in 1948.

The bones were re-buried at a ceremony at a gravesite at Nelson Mandela’s home in Qunu on Thursday afternoon. – Sapa

Mandela grave dig starts, say police

Health department officials started digging to find the remains of three of former president Nelson Mandela’s children in Mvezo on Wednesday, Eastern Cape police said.

“The graves are not marked, but when they find the coffins they will identify the remains,” Lt-Col Mzukisi Fatyela said.

“Police are on the scene monitoring the situation.”

Earlier in the day, the ailing icon’s grandson Mandla Mandela, who is also the Mvezo chief, lost a challenge against a court order instructing him to rebury the remains in Qunu.

Mandla exhumed the graves of the three children in 2011 and reburied their remains in Mvezo.

Mandla Mandela’s lawyer said it was illegal for the Mandela family to exhume the remains because there was no one at Mvezo to show them where the remains were, and the graves were not clearly marked.

Officials from the sheriff of the court’s office broke open a gate to Mvezo village on Wednesday afternoon to gain access to the graves. ENCA filmed an official using a pick-axe to force open the gate.

Three hearses and police vans entered the village.

They were to transport the remains of three of Mandela’s children from Mvezo, where he was born, to Qunu, where he grew up.

Mandela’s eldest surviving daughter Makaziwe Mandela and grandson Ndaba Mandela reportedly arrived at Mvezo along with the officials from the health department.

On Tuesday, criminal charges were laid against Mandla Mandela over the exhumation and reburial.

Fatyela said a case of tampering with a grave had been opened.

“The investigation started yesterday [Tuesday] after the case was opened,” he said.

Fatyela said members of the Mandela family laid the charge, but declined to name them.

Mandela remained critically ill on Wednesday in a Pretoria hospital, where he is being treated for a recurring lung infection. – Sapa

Mandela court decision expected today

The Eastern Cape High Court is expected to make a decision on Wednesday about the relocation of the graves of former president Nelson Mandela’s children.

His grandson Mandla Mandela has brought an application to set aside an order made last week compelling him to return the remains of the three children to Qunu from Mvezo, where he had them reburied two years ago.

The graves are those of Mandela’s eldest son, Mandla’s father, Makgato Mandela who died in 2005; Mandela’s first daughter Makaziwe, who died as an infant in 1948; and Mandela’s second son Madiba Thembekile, who died in a car accident in 1969.

Sixteen members of Mandela’s family want the remains exhumed on Wednesday afternoon.

Last week, the court ordered Mandla Mandela, the official head of the Madiba clan and an African National Congress MP, to return the remains to Nelson Mandela’s childhood home of Qunu, from his birthplace of Mvezo.

However the process was delayed because of an error on the court order giving him until “July 29” to move the remains instead of “June 29”.

On Tuesday, members of the Mandela family opened a case of grave tampering against Mandla Mandela at the Bityi police station. – Sapa

Mandela’s legacy: Fighting about money

Since Nelson Mandela’s hospitalisation, his daughter Makaziwe and grandson Mandla have emerged as the two bulls in the kraal. And it’s about money.

Since the hospitalisation of former state president Nelson Mandela last month, his eldest daughter, Makaziwe Mandela (60) and eldest grandson, chief Mandla Mandela (38) have engaged in a public spat about ownership of the icon’s legacy, or rather income.

This week, Mandla, officially head of the Mandela clan, denied that there was tension between him and his aunt. A few days later, Makaziwe and 16 other family members filed an interdict with the Eastern Cape High Court, ordering Mandla to return the remains of three family members he controversially exhumed two years ago and re-buried in Mvezo.

The matter was first raised at a family meeting held in Qunu last week. Mandla allegedly walked out and refused to answer why he had taken such a huge decision without consulting the family.

When he moved the graves, Mandla said that Mvezo was the birthplace and traditional home of the Mandelas and therefore held historic and heritage significance.

Mandla, who is based in the family homestead in the Transkei, became the chief of Mvezo after the death of his father Makgatho Mandela in 2005. He was chosen as a successor at the age of 32. He graduated with a degree in politics from Rhodes University and is a Member of Parliament for the ANC.

In recent years he has become increasingly vocal politically as a member of the ANC and a traditional leader. In an interview this week with Cii, an Islamic radio station, he spoke of how people needed to embrace their traditions and culture, especially when it came to the treatment of the elderly. “Ubuntu needs to be our guide to everything we do towards senior citizens. There is a lot of disrespect and abuse suffered by the vulnerable,” he said, adding that the topic was close to his heart because of his grandfather’s advanced age and health.

Mandela’s daughter Makaziwe is no stranger to bad publicity either. She and her sister Zenani made news last month by announcing their intent to sue their father’s trust. They went to court in an attempt to remove their father’s choices of directors and trustees of the Mandela Trust, namely attorney George Bizos SC, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale and lawyer Bally Chuene.

In his replying affidavit, Chuene reportedly said he, Bizos and Sexwale had, in 2011, refused to release the trust’s money to the daughters without a legal justification. Critics slammed the daughters’ move as desperate and an act of greed. The case was clouded by the recent ill-health of the elder statesman.

Recently, Makaziwe has set her sights further, extending her intervention in the family’s public image and administration. She has added her voice to the ongoing Mandela family graves debacle, moving to make sure that the exhumed remains are returned to and reburied in Qunu.

Makaziwe is also taking a firmer hand with family matters, going as far as addressing not only Mandla, but the media as well. In a recent interview with the SABC she spoke on behalf of the family, accusing the international media of being “racist vultures”.

Her recent unapologetic stance has led to speculation that she is vying to be the new head of the clan.

Makaziwe, affectionately known as Maki, is the daughter of Mandela and his first wife Evelyn. She was named after her older sister who was born in 1947 but who died before her first birthday. She is the only remaining child from Mandela’s first marriage.

Like her father, she attended the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape. She later earned a PhD in anthropology from the University of Massachusetts. She has been in positions of power at the University of the Witwatersrand, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, and now heads the Industrial Development Group, with interests in mining and petroleum.

Last year, Mandla was taken to court by a community member who claimed he dug up private graves (separate to the family graves) in order to build a hotel and a stadium on the land. The case is still in court.

Mandla, however, emphasised the developmental aspect of project, as the stadium is needed for activities such as the Mvezo Komkhulu Youth Tournament, an annual soccer and netball tournament that has been running for six years.

“The tournament is aimed at exposing the talent of rural boys and girls and fighting alcohol and substance abuse. We want the youth to live in clean, healthy environments. Through sport we can have a healthy nation and disciplined future leaders,” he said at the time to local media. However, thanks to flouting correct procedure, the project landed him in court and has further deepened his unpopularity.

Ultimately, one of the two has to start behaving like a leader, or run the risk of the Mandela name being increasingly mired in scandal. – Mail&Guardian

Mandela children quarrelling over grave site

Newspapers in Gauteng reported on Wednesday that former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela stormed out of a family meeting in Qunu, in the Eastern Cape, after a disagreement.

Three sources told The Star the family was torn between Mandla Mandela –who wants Mandela buried at his birthplace in Mvezo — and the rest, who felt that his wish to be buried next to his children should be respected.

The Star reported that a Mandela family meeting held in Qunu on Tuesday was to discuss a “significant” family matter.

The meeting was attended by the family, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa and Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.

The Times reported that a group of elders planned to fly to Gauteng to assess the critically ill Mandela and decide what to do.

It reported that the meeting on Tuesday had focused on Mandela’s health, and on the moving of the family graves from Qunu to Mvezo in 2011. The graves were moved by Mandla Mandela.

The Times reported that the family wanted the graves of three of Mandela’s children — sons Makgatho and Thembekile and daughter Makaziwe — to be in Qunu.

The newspaper reported that it understood that a fuming Mandla Mandela, who moved the graves without consulting the family, stormed out of the meeting.

Mandla Mandela could not be reached for comment. – Sapa

Black groups and mysterious Chinese investor take control of Independent media group

The Star, once South Africa's biggest daily, now also belongs to Sekunjalo — The Star, once South Africa’s biggest daily, now also belongs to Sekunjalo

Sapa reports that Cosatu and its some of its affiliates make up a large portion of Sekunjalo Independent Media’s (SIM) shareholding, the company said on Thursday. But a mysterious Chinese investor is providing some of the funding and could end up with a 20% stake in one of South Africa’s most influential newspaper groups.

Employees of Independent News and Media (INM) would get 10 percent of the shares in company, SIM chairman Iqbal Surve said in a statement.

“We know we can continue to gro

w and run this media group profitably,” he said.

Independent News and Media in Ireland confirmed on June 17 that its shareholders had voted in favour of the sale of the media group to the Sekunjalo Group. The two shareholders of Independent News and Media SA (INMSA) would be SIM, with 75 percent, and the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF) acting through the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), with 25 percent. This would ensure that INMSA was “firmly in South African hands”, said Surve.

He said 63 percent of SIM’s shares would be held by Sekunjalo Investment Holdings; the Congress of SA Trade Unions’ (Cosatu) investment company Kopano Ke Matlaka, represented by Collins Matjila; the SA Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union Investments Group, represented by Andre Kriel; the Food and Allied Workers’ Union, represented by Basebenzi Investments and Katishi Masemola; and employees, via a special purpose vehicle.

The other 37 percent would be held by a number of “broad-based value adding partners”, he said.

These included the Black Business Chamber (Western Cape) and various independent South African Women’s business community organisations, represented by Lindiwe Barbara Ngcobo, and Manemele Maria.

Sekunjalo Digital Media would help drive a digital and mobile growth strategy; and the Mvezo Development Trust, represented by Mandla Mandela, would provide for the development of the communities of the Eastern Cape.

They were joined by the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Association (through the Military Veterans’ Trust); and the Western Cape Development Trust, which would focus on the provision of bursaries for journalists from black communities.

Other shareholders were prominent entrepreneurs and business people such as Sandile Zungu, and media and advertising personalities Tim Modise and Groovin Nchabeleng, from the Blue Print Group.

“The Sekunjalo Consortium will at all times have control of INMSA, with a number of funding partners sharing in the equity of the company,” said Surve Funding would come from SIM itself, from banks, the trade union investment companies, the GEPF, and a Chinese consortium.

“To ensure that the business has sufficient capital resources to reinvest in vernacular titles, digital strategy, reinvigorating existing titles and an African growth strategy, additional funding has been arranged which may see a further shareholding/investment of 20 percent placed with the Chinese consortium,” he said.

INMSA owns the Cape Times, the Cape Argus, the Weekend Argus, the Daily Voice, The Star, Pretoria News, Saturday Star, Sunday Independent, Diamond Fields Advertiser, Weekend Pretoria News, Daily News, The Mercury, Post, Independent on Saturday, the Sunday Tribune, the Zulu daily newspaper, Isolezwe, and its Saturday and Sunday editions.

It also owns a number of weekly community newspapers in the Western Cape, and has investments in the community newspaper markets in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

It also owns and runs Independent Online (IOL) and publishes three Conde Nast international magazine brands: House & Garden, GQ and Glamour.

Surve said he strongly believed in the future of print media in South Africa.

“This is the beginning of a strategy to invest in newspapers across Africa, and to focus on developing digital and other cross-media opportunities.”

The Media Workers’ Association of SA (Mwasa) welcomed the announcement and said it believed the staff share would revolutionise labour relations in the media sector.

“Mwasa welcomes this offer to empower all staff and looks forward to further formal engagements to determine logistical and operational arrangements for the participation of staff in the direction of the new company,” it said.

It looked forward to meeting the challenges and opportunities the announcement presented, and congratulated Surve and the SIM consortium on a “watershed achievement”.

Mandela ‘doing better’: Mandla

Mandela's house in Qunu, in the former Transkei — Mandela’s house in Qunu, in the former Transkei

Former president Nelson Mandela is doing better, his grandson Mandla said on Saturday.

Addressing mourners at the funeral of the former president’s cousin Florence Mandela in Qunu, Eastern Cape, Mandla spoke about his grandfather’s condition in Xhosa.

“He is doing better,” Mandla said.

Mandla left soon after the service ended. He declined to speak to reporters.

The former president has spent a week in a hospital for a recurring lung infection.

A group of villagers and family gathered in a large white tent erected in a yard not far from the Mandela family graveyard in Qunu for the funeral service.

Friends and family also paid tribute to Florence during a service led by a Methodist priest.

The priest welcomed the media during the service and acknowledging their presence in Qunu since “our great father fell sick”.

On Friday, Mandela’s former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela visited the former president with her daughter Zindzi. His granddaughter Tukwini and three other relatives also visited.

The presidency had described Mandela’s condition as “serious, but stable”.

President Jacob Zuma, accompanied by African National Congress treasurer general Zweli Mkhize, visited him on Thursday.

“Madiba’s health continues to improve but his condition remains serious,” Zuma said in a statement issued afterwards. – Sapa