Mandela court battle over graves continues

Lawyers for former president Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela will return to the High Court in Mthatha on Thursday to seek the return of the remains of three family members to Mvezo, The New Age reported.

Earlier this month, the court ordered him to return the remains of his grandfather's three children to Qunu from Mvezo, where he moved them two years ago.

Mandla Mandela's spokesman Freddy Pilusa reportedly told the newspaper: "Chief Mandla has no intention to insist on the repatriation of the remains back to Mvezo".

"However, since the court order was based on false and misleading information, it is important to reverse what we view as an unfair decision."

According to the newspaper, this unreliable information included that Madiba was in "a permanent vegetative state".

Earlier on Thursday, the former statesman's 95th birthday, presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj said that Mandela's condition was "steadily improving".

The remains are 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.