Qunu – praag.org

Thousands sing ‘Happy Birthday’ for Mandela

Thousands of football-lovers descended on the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria for the first of two Nelson Mandela Football Invitational matches on Sunday.

Before kickoff, the crowd sang “happy birthday Tata” in celebration of Madiba’s oncoming birthday.

The anti-apartheid icon turns 95 on July 18.

The 2011/12 English Premiership champions Manchester United will wrap up their South African tour with another match against Amazulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, on Madiba’s birthday.

The funds generated from both fixtures will go towards the refurbishment of 10 schools in Madiba’s birth town of Qunu in the Eastern Cape.

Though almost half the seats were empty, the divided crowd cheered on as the game progressed.

Many people in the crowd were wearing City jerseys. Some wore branded regalia of other English Premiership clubs.

Other were wearing Kaizer Chiefs jerseys.

Madiba was hospitalised on June 8 at the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria for a recurring lung infection.

On Sunday, numerous well-wishers visited Madiba’s hospital.

Spruitview resident Vusumzi Makalima brought his four children to the hospital to teach them about Mandela.

“The kids wanted to know where Madiba was… what he did, and why he was in prison,” he said.

“I wanted to teach them about what he did for the country, and show them where he was hospitalised.” He said the visit was about teaching Mandela’s legacy to his children so they would not forget.

His children had written letters for Mandela, which they placed on a growing wall of well-wishes outside the hospital.

Ovayo Makalima, 9, said she wanted to wish Madiba well.

“I said in the message – we love you Madiba and get well soon.” Her older sister Thandiswa Makalima said: “I think he’s a great man and very kind. All of South Africa loves him.” Another Johannesburg resident visited to be a part of history.

“This will go down in the history books and I wanted to be a part of history,” said Joel Mdantshe.

“Mandela will be a man in the history books that will not be forgotten.” Mdantshe and his friends posed for pictures at the shrine and said they would keep the pictures safe to remember that they visited the hospital where Mandela was.

“Even if we can’t see him, we will remember that we were here, so close to him, just the building standing between us and Tata,” said Mdantshe.

Sunday marked Mandela’s 37th day in hospital.

The Presidency said last week that he remained in a critical but stable condition. – Sapa

Mandela graves found empty

Three family graves at the Qunu, Eastern Cape, home of critically ill former president Nelson Mandela had no human remains when they were exhumed earlier this week, a Mthatha undertaker told Sapa on Friday.

Luvuyo Titi said the Mandela family had asked his company to exhume the graves of Mandela’s oldest son Makgatho Mandela, Mandela’s first daughter Makaziwe, and his second son Madiba Thembekile.

Makgatho Mandela died on January 6, 2005, aged 55; Makaziwe died aged nine months in 1948; and Madiba Thembekile died in a car accident on July 13, 1969, aged 24.

“The family informed us that they obtained permission from the municipality to go ahead with exhumations of the graves,” Titi said.

“When we opened the graves they contained no human remains.”

The exhumations were conducted under the supervision of a municipal health inspector.

Titi reported what he had found to the Mandela family, who called an urgent meeting at the Mandela home on Tuesday.

Two Mandela family members at the meeting told Sapa that Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, was confronted about ordering the removal of the remains from the family cemetery.

“When the family confronted Mandla about the missing bones, he conceded to having them moved to his home village in Mvezo,” said the relative, who asked to remain anonymous.

“When Mandla was ordered to bring back the remains, he stormed out of the meeting.”

During the meeting, Mandla’s younger brother, Ndaba, said he wanted his father, Makgatho, back.

Mandela family members accused a family elder, Napilisi Mandela, of supporting Mandla.

“He is not supposed to support Mandla as he presides over family affairs,” the relative said.

“The family was not consulted about the first exhumation of the graves.”

On Friday, 16 applicants from the Mandela family applied for an urgent high court interdict against Mandla Mandela, the Eastern Cape health department and the Eastern Cape premier.

Details of the interdict were not made public, with lawyers for the applicants and the State refusing to take questions from the media on the matter.

It emerged in court on Friday that the sheriff of the court was unable to deliver the summons to Mandla Mandela to appear in the Mthatha High Court, as the gate of his Mvezo home was locked. He was also unreachable by telephone.

Mandla Mandela has until Saturday to respond to the interdict. – Sapa

AbaThembu elders to decide on Mandela

A group of AbaThembu elders is preparing to fly to Gauteng to assess a critically ill Nelson Mandela and decide “what to do”.

The Times has learnt that at an urgent meeting called by Mandela’s eldest daughter, Makaziwe, at his home in Qunu in the Eastern Cape yesterday, it was decided that the elders and Mandela’s confidants would visit the former president in the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria.

According to a CBS News report, the former statesman – who has been in the hospital for 18 days with a lung infection – was ”unresponsive and has not opened his eyes for days”.

One of the local chiefs said Mandela spokesman Nkosi Bhekizulu Mnqanqeni and possibly Nkosi Bhovulengwe Mfundo Mtirara would be among the elders who would assess Mandela.

They are likely to fly to Johannesburg today and head straight to Mandela’s bedside.

Family elder Napilisi Mandela confirmed they would discuss delicate matters.

A chief said: “They want to visit Tata himself and discuss what should be done.”

Last night, Nkosi Mtirara would say only that yesterday’s gathering was “a family meeting”.

But The Times understands that this meeting, the first of its kind, focused not only on Mandela’s health but also on the moving of family graves from Qunu to Mvezo in 2011. The graves were moved by Mandela’s grandson, Chief Mandla Mandela.

Vehicles transporting family members also visited the guarded burial site. The entourage spent almost 30 minutes looking around before moving back to the house.

The meeting adjourned at 12.30pm and the family was rushed back to the airport.

There was, however, little activity at Mvezo Great Place yesterday, other than the installation of a new steel gate at the entrance. – timeslive.co.za

Mandela’s family called to private Qunu meeting

The eldest daughter of Nelson Mandela summoned the clan to Qunu to discuss ‘sensitive matters’.

In African tradition it means the end is near and relatives have to discuss if the ailing patient is ready to be “released”.

Yesterday, for the first time since Mandela was admitted to hospital, the pool of visitors went beyond just family members with senior politicians and government ministers visiting.

Among them were Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa, who is a family friend. Holomisa arrived and left the hospital with Makaziwe.

Madiba’s grandson Ndaba, granddaughters Zoleka and Zaziwe and her husband David Manaway also spent time with him.

Security remained tight at the Mediclinic Heart Hospital. Handmade cards with get well messages, balloons and flowers continued to fill the security wall at one of the hospital.

This came as Mandela, whose condition was described as critical by the presidency on Sunday night, spent his 16th night in hospital.

Activity in Mthatha was also starting to grow, and yesterday two airlines, one which does not fly even to East London, expressed interest in flying to the newly refurbished Mthatha Airport.

Some residents were preparing to turn their homes into home-stay accommodation, as they said there might not be enough place in the village should the ailing icon die, according to the report.

Villagers, who did not want to be named, told the newspaper there were only three bed and breakfasts (B&B) in the village.

An employee at one of the residences said the house had been converted into a 10-room B&B and had previously accommodated many foreigners who came to the village to see Mandela’s home.

Nowinothi Geledwana, 63, told the newspaper she had previously rented out some rooms in her house and expected to do so again, should there be a demand.

“I have about three to four rooms that are available and can be rented out should people prefer home-stay accommodation in Qunu,” Geledwana was quoted as saying.

“I really don’t know how much I will charge for them, but I’m sure I will make some profit.”

Apart from accommodation provided by residents, the Nelson Mandela Museum in the village also had accommodation for 60 people, while there was a plush guesthouse less than 10km from Qunu. – The Sowetan

Mandela’s Qunu prepares for influx

As former president Nelson Mandela spends his fourth day in hospital, his home village of Qunu was preparing for throngs of visitors, the Sowetan reported.

Some residents were preparing to turn their homes into home-stay accommodation, as they said there might not be enough place in the village should the ailing icon die, according to the report.

Villagers, who did not want to be named, told the newspaper there were only three bed and breakfasts (B&B) in the village.

An employee at one of the residences said the house had been converted into a 10-room B&B and had previously accommodated many foreigners who came to the village to see Mandela’s home.

Nowinothi Geledwana, 63, told the newspaper she had previously rented out some rooms in her house and expected to do so again, should there be a demand.

“I have about three to four rooms that are available and can be rented out should people prefer home-stay accommodation in Qunu,” Geledwana was quoted as saying.

“I really don’t know how much I will charge for them, but I’m sure I will make some profit.”

Apart from accommodation provided by residents, the Nelson Mandela Museum in the village also had accommodation for 60 people, while there was a plush guesthouse less than 10km from Qunu.

The Star newspaper reported the Mandela family in Qunu was preparing for another relative’s funeral.

Florence Mandela, the wife of one of the son’s of the elder statesman’s uncle, died last week aged 96.

Florence’s funeral would be held on Saturday. – SAPA

Mandela has stopped talking

South African leaders issued assurances about the health of former president Nelson Mandela on Sunday night after the 94 year-old was airlifted to hospital having reportedly stopped speaking amid a deterioration in his condition.

The Sunday Times, a South African newspaper, quoted an unnamed person close to the Mandela family as saying: “He has not been talking … he is not looking good. It’s clear that something is troubling him.”

Mr Mandela, the country’s first black president, spent a second day at the Pretoria hospital where he is said to be undergoing tests. On Saturday he was flown from his rural home in the Eastern Cape to the capital Pretoria to receive medical attention.

President Jacob Zuma visited Mr Mandela, whose health has been frail in recent years, and “found him comfortable, and in good care,” a statement said.

No details have been released about the specific reason for Mr Mandela’s admission to hospital, or when he will be discharged.

Mac Maharaj, a spokesman for Mr Zuma, on Saturday said the anti-apartheid icon was “doing well”.

Mr Mandela, affectionately known in South Africa as “Madiba,” his Xhosa clan name, “will receive medical attention from time to time which is consistent with his age,” a statement on Saturday said.

Former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and daughter Zindzi seemed to not view it as an emergency, or else were unaware that Mr Mandela had been transferred to Pretoria.

A South African military plane crashed Wednesday after disappearing en route from a Pretoria air base to Mthatha, the nearest airport to Mr Mandela’s home in Qunu village.

There have been persistent rumours that the aircraft was carrying medical personnel or medical supplies for Mr Mandela. – The Telegraph

Hillary Clinton pays respects to Nelson Mandela

hillary_mandela — Graça Machel, Nelson Mandela and Hillary Clinton

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited with Nelson Mandela at his home on Monday to pay her respects to the aging South African icon.

Clinton and a small group flew to the 94-year-old Mandela’s home village of Qunu, where they reminisced and had a small private lunch.

Clinton and Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, talked as photographers snapped pictures and Mandela looked on smiling from his wingback chair.

“That’s a beautiful smile!” Clinton said.

“Madiba’s smile is a trademark,” Machel said, affectionately referring to Mandela by his Xhosa clan name.

Afterwards, Clinton, Machel and the others went into the main dining room for lunch. Mandela remained in the living room with his medical attendants.

The former president of South Africa has homes in Johannesburg and Qunu. In recent years, he has spent more and more time in Qunu and in May, it was announced that he would stay there indefinitely.

Mandela, a Nobel peace laureate who spent 27 years in prison for fighting racist white rule, has retired from public life. – Associated Press

Hillary Clinton arrives in South Africa to see Mandela

clinton_joycebanda — Hillary Clinton and President Joyce Banda of Malawi

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to meet with South Africa’s anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela on Monday, the State Department said, hours after her arrival on the latest leg of her Africa tour.

The luncheon with the 94-year-old former president will take place in Qunu, a village in the country’s southeast.

Clinton, who met schoolgirls and Africa’s second woman president during an unprecedented visit to Malawi Sunday before jetting to South Africa, will be in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town until Thursday morning.

While in South Africa, Clinton is also expected to meet with senior government officials, as well as senior representatives from the South African private sector.

The State Department announced earlier it was partnering with the US Chamber of Commerce to lead a business delegation of approximately 10 senior US executives to the three cities Clinton is visiting.

“South Africa is the leading market in Africa for American goods, and the United States is both an important export market and a source of foreign direct investment for South Africa,” it said.

Members of the business delegation were said to include senior executives from Black & Veatch, Boeing, Chevron, EMD/Caterpillar, FedEx Express, GE, Symbion, Trimble, Wal-Mart, and Zanbato.

A trade mission meanwhile includes the heads of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the US Trade and Development Agency, as well as Robert Hormats, under secretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, and Francisco Sanchez, under secretary of commerce for international trade.

“The mission showcases our commitment to highlighting investment opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in infrastructure, the State Department said.

After trips to Nigeria and Benin, Clinton is due to travel to Turkey Saturday for talks on the conflict in Syria. – Sapa

Clinton visits Mandela

Former US president Bill Clinton paid former president Nelson Mandela a visit on Tuesday at his home in the Eastern Cape village of Qunu.

A statement from the Clinton Foundation said last week that Clinton would visit Qunu on Tuesday, to attend the opening of a container library at the No-Moscow Primary School.

It was unclear whether he would be attending Mandela’s birthday celebrations on Wednesday.

His visit was part of a round-trip of the African continent.

Qunu was besieged by the media ahead of Mandela Day.

Close friends and family were seen being smuggled into Mandela’s home by convoys of vehicles.

Photographers positioned themselves outside the entrance to the home, and attempted to follow exiting vehicles in hopes of confirming whoever had visited Mandela.

Several people thought Mandela would have attended his cousin Morris Mandela’s funeral last Sunday.

Mourners were told he could not make it because of the cold winter weather.

“He is old, he could not have come to the funeral and on Sunday it was very cold,” said Mzwakhe Mandela, Morris’s son.

The guest list for Wednesday’s lunch with Mandela has been closely guarded. Only key employees and local caterers are allowed entry into the homestead.

Inside the Mandela yard, a South African flag was seen hanging high. It is known among villagers that when the flag is up, Mandela is home and is feeling “sound and well”.

Across the N2 highway from Mandela’s house is the home of Silumko Mandela, a close family relative.

He said he had been bothered since last week by the media making enquiries, but was used to them.

“Look, those guys come here often, but at one time the chief in the village told us to be kind to visitors, so we are. The journalists are here to record the history of our own son, uMadiba Omhle [the great Madiba],” he said.

Silumko said he was waiting for a call from Chief Mandla Mandela, the former president’s grandson, to tell him about tomorrow’s proceedings.

“By now, we would usually be knowing what is happening tomorrow, but I do think Mandla has been too busy. Since his arrival, there have been number of things in the family,” said Silumko.

About a kilometre from Mandela’s house, events are underway at the Nelson Mandela Museum.

On Tuesday, the focus was on legacies and the state of archives in honour of Nelson Mandela.

Reverend Frank Chikane and African National Congress chairwoman Baleka Mbete were scheduled to give speeches on Tuesday morning, said museum spokeswoman Nokuzola Tetani. – Sapa