Royal family laughs off Qunu claim.
WINNIE Madikizela-Mandela’s concern for her late ex-husband’s starving cattle and neglected farm is part of the reason for her bid for Madiba’s Qunu home.
The Daily Dispatch can today reveal that last night her lawyers were writing a second letter to estate executors Judge President Themba Sangoni, his deputy Dikgang Moseneke and advocate George Bizos ahead of their meeting tomorrow, stating more reasons for her claim – including her concern for the neglected livestock. It follows the one she wrote on Mandela’s birthday – July 18 – in which she made a claim for the Qunu home that Madiba left to the Nelson Mandela Foundation for the use of the entire family.
The Dispatch reported yesterday that the claim would be discussed in a meeting of the three executors tomorrow. “The issue has become more urgent because you have livestock that is not being taken care of, forcing the MEC to intervene. The animals are not in good shape and they are starving.
“It is not right that there isn’t a specific person to oversee the farm,” said Madikizela-Mandela’s lawyer Mvuzo Notyesi yesterday.
Last Friday the provincial government took feed and state veterinarians to help save the former statesmen’s cattle herd.
According to Madikizela-Mandela the property belongs to her and her descendants – daughters Zindzi and Zenani Mandela-Dlamini and their children – as she acquired it in 1989 while married to Mandela.
However, not everyone in the family supports her bid, and the claim appears to have already divided the family.
Ndileka Mandela, Madiba’s grandchild, said she accepted the contents of her grandfather’s will “as they stand”.
“Outside of that I think people should go work for their living. I am busy with the Thembekile Mandela Foundation and we are giving back to the community.”
Mandela’s grandson Mandla declined to comment. “I only respond to issues that concern Zwelivelile .”
AbaThembu royal family spokesman Chief Daludumo Mtirara said the AmaDlomo family would only entertain Madikizela-Mandela’s claim if it came from her son. Since she and Mandela only had daughters – Zinzi and Zenani – she did not have a leg to stand on, he said.
“We identified for him , not his wife. It was a place we saw befitting of Nkosi Dalibhunga . He had already told us of the problems he had with his wife and the action to follow.
“AmaDlomo recognise Mam’uNosizwe as the one who would make a rightful claim. Mam’uNobandla is not the wife in that home. That home is for the entire Mandela family and the heir is Nkosi Zwelivelile,” Mtirara said.
Although Madikizela-Mandela wore mourning clothes, it was an extraordinary occurrence in the AmaDlomo family, he said.
“We conducted the ceremony because we could not say no to her. We are not used to cleansing someone who was divorced,” he added.
Cultural expert Nomboniso Gasa said any claim to the property should have been covered by the divorce settlement. “It will be interesting to see how this pans out because one assumes that when a divorce settlement is made it involves all the assets they had at the time,” Gasa said.
“Unless in the actual divorce decree there’s a proviso that says the settlement covers the civil marriage and all assets and properties that can be covered customarily are excluded. If she has that then she has the right to claim.”
Gasa said some of the issues raised by Madikizela-Mandela on rituals and customs were covered in the will.
“The issue of children and rituals is in fact covered in what we have seen of Mandela’s will.
“Access to the property is available to everybody – what I do not understand is the basis of the claim to own the property.
“Having lived amongst AbaThembu myself, this is the first time I’ve heard of this custom where a wife who has left the marital home has a customary claim to her ex husband’s property.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
Winnie bid cites herd care
WINNIE Madikizela-Mandela’s concern for her late ex-husband’s starving cattle and neglected farm is part of the reason for her bid for Madiba’s Qunu home.
The Daily Dispatch can today reveal that last night her lawyers were writing a second letter to estate executors Judge President Themba Sangoni, his deputy Dikgang Moseneke and advocate George Bizos ahead of their meeting tomorrow, stating more reasons for her claim – including her concern for the neglected livestock. It follows the one she wrote on Mandela’s birthday – July 18 – in which she made a claim for the Qunu home that Madiba left to the Nelson Mandela Foundation for the use of the entire family.
The Dispatch reported yesterday that the claim would be discussed in a meeting of the three executors tomorrow. “The issue has become more urgent because you have livestock that is not being taken care of, forcing the MEC to intervene. The animals are not in good shape and they are starving.
“It is not right that there isn’t a specific person to oversee the farm,” said Madikizela-Mandela’s lawyer Mvuzo Notyesi yesterday.
Last Friday the provincial government took feed and state veterinarians to help save the former statesmen’s cattle herd.
According to Madikizela-Mandela the property belongs to her and her descendants – daughters Zindzi and Zenani Mandela-Dlamini and their children – as she acquired it in 1989 while married to Mandela.
However, not everyone in the family supports her bid, and the claim appears to have already divided the family.
Ndileka Mandela, Madiba’s grandchild, said she accepted the contents of her grandfather’s will “as they stand”.
“Outside of that I think people should go work for their living. I am busy with the Thembekile Mandela Foundation and we are giving back to the community.”
Mandela’s grandson Mandla declined to comment. “I only respond to issues that concern Zwelivelile .”
AbaThembu royal family spokesman Chief Daludumo Mtirara said the AmaDlomo family would only entertain Madikizela-Mandela’s claim if it came from her son. Since she and Mandela only had daughters – Zinzi and Zenani – she did not have a leg to stand on, he said.
“We identified for him , not his wife. It was a place we saw befitting of Nkosi Dalibhunga . He had already told us of the problems he had with his wife and the action to follow.
“AmaDlomo recognise Mam’uNosizwe as the one who would make a rightful claim. Mam’uNobandla is not the wife in that home. That home is for the entire Mandela family and the heir is Nkosi Zwelivelile,” Mtirara said.
Although Madikizela-Mandela wore mourning clothes, it was an extraordinary occurrence in the AmaDlomo family, he said.
“We conducted the ceremony because we could not say no to her. We are not used to cleansing someone who was divorced,” he added.
Cultural expert Nomboniso Gasa said any claim to the property should have been covered by the divorce settlement. “It will be interesting to see how this pans out because one assumes that when a divorce settlement is made it involves all the assets they had at the time,” Gasa said.
“Unless in the actual divorce decree there’s a proviso that says the settlement covers the civil marriage and all assets and properties that can be covered customarily are excluded. If she has that then she has the right to claim.”
Gasa said some of the issues raised by Madikizela-Mandela on rituals and customs were covered in the will.
“The issue of children and rituals is in fact covered in what we have seen of Mandela’s will.
“Access to the property is available to everybody – what I do not understand is the basis of the claim to own the property.
“Having lived amongst AbaThembu myself, this is the first time I’ve heard of this custom where a wife who has left the marital home has a customary claim to her ex husband’s property.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
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