Madiba’s dying cattle

LESS than a year after former President Nelson Mandela’s death, his cattle on his Qunu farm are reportedly dying from neglect.

The Saturday Dispatch can today reveal that at least nine cattle are alleged to have died last month from hunger, while a cow died giving birth.

Several people confirmed this week that the world icon’s cattle were in a danger of dying out completely.

Just 88 cattle remain and lucerne is needed urgently to feed them, said a source close to the family.

The cattle were dying despite efforts by the Eastern Cape government to rescue them.

MEC for rural development Mlibo Qoboshiyane last month visited the farm after reports that Mandela’s livestock was in a bad state.

Qoboshiyane was accompanied by teams of officials including veterinarians to vaccinate, de-horn and castrate some of the cattle, and deliver feed.

That now seems to have been in vain.

This week a source speaking on condition of anonymity said lucerne had only been delivered twice this year.

“More than 200 bales were brought to Qunu but some were taken to the farm in Ncise – putting these ones at a disadvantage.

“I am sure the lucerne will run out soon and the cattle will go for weeks with nothing to eat but to graze the parched fields,” said the source.

Sources spoke this week about how the property and livestock had been neglected by the family with no one visiting the house except Mandla Mandela.

“If they cannot take care of the animals they should just sell them. I know there have been a lot of people coming here wanting to buy the cattle.”

All of this was confirmed by an employee who declined to be named for fear of victimisation.

This is the latest scandal to hit the troubled Mandela family and comes in the same week that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela made a court bid for the Qunu home.

She wants the court to give her full rights to the property.

Madikizela-Mandela has also said her attorneys are in the process of drafting papers which would see her launch a claim for half of Mandela’s estate, valued at over R40-million.

After the Dispatch made enquiries about the matter with the department of rural development, state veterinarians were again sent to Qunu to check on the livestock.

The department had not responded to questions yesterday.

Meme Kgagara, the farm manager employed by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which manages the property, could not be reached for comment.

However, Mandla Mandela disputed the allegations saying he would have known if cattle were dying at Qunu.

“There is no information on the death of any cattle. There is a foreman there that comes in every morning and every afternoon to check the status of the livestock. He would have informed me about that,” said Mandla.

But neighbours, who also spoke to the Dispatch on condition of anonymity, said the deaths of the cattle were being talked about in the village.

“They are starving and now that the rains have come they will surely die. The household seems to be neglected,” said one of the neighbours.

Madikizela-Mandela’s lawyer, Mvuzo Notyesi said: “This is one of the reasons why we would like to resolve the matter of that home as speedily as possible. There is no person who provides leadership.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za