Amadlomo and AbaThembu traditional leadership, the community of Qunu where Nelson Mandela is buried and his extended family spoke of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela saying they still held her in high regard as one of the royal wives of AmaDlomo despite her divorce from Madiba.
They spoke of Madikizela-Mandela as a princess of Ama- Ngutyana and AmaMpondo, a royal wife of AbaThembu, one of the villagers and a woman of Qunu, daughter-in-law of Nosekeni and Gadla – parents of Nelson Mandela – a traditionalist and cultural activist who embraced and promoted the culture and customary practices of AmaMpondo and AbaThembu
Senior AmaDlomo traditional leaders, including Nkosi Mfundo Mtirara and Nkosi Zanomthetho Mtirara as well as Nkosikazi Nokwanele Balizululu, who are closely related to Madiba expressed their support for Madikizela-Mandela at a memorial service at the Methodist Church in Qunu yesterday.
Contralesa provincial secretary Nkosi Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo said Madikizela-Mandela had been involved in the formation of Contralesa. “She was in fact the first treasurer-general of Contralesa and she played a pivotal role in promoting traditional leadership in the country at the time when many did not want traditional leaders,” he said.
The memorial service was organised by the ANC and ANC Women’s League in the OR Tambo region in conjunction with the Qunu community and their leaders.
“Mam’uNobandla will forever remain the wife of Dalibhunga, the wife of AmaDlomo. It is foreign that when a woman is divorced in civil court she is no more regarded as the wife of that family, that clan.
“We all know Mam’uNobandla…never took a resolution to confirm the divorce and do what is known as ukukhethwa kweenkomo, where if a woman is no longer regarded as a wife, her in-laws would take home some of the lobola cattle. This never happened in the case of Nobandla.
“I was shocked to see us belittled by the documentary on TV,” said Nkosi Mfundo Mtirara, referring to the documentary Winnie screened on eNCA on Wednesday night.
This was in sharp contrast to what AmaDlomo elder Napilisi Mandela, said on the documentary. Napilisi was reported as saying they did not consider Madikizela-Mandela as a member of the family since her divorce, something Mfundo said was shocking to hear.
“We must not shy away from our cultural processes and adopt western culture for the benefit of others. Nobandla is not an ex-wife of AmaDlomo, but died as a wife of AmaDlomo. She died a senior family member of AmaDlomo. She remains Mrs Mandela,” said Mfundo, who is one of the senior members of AmaDlomo and senior traditional leaders.
Nosinodi Mandela and Nothobile Ngcebetsha, as well as Thoko Mandela, spoke of Madikizela-Mandela as a woman who respected the custom of the Mandelas and stuck to customary practices.
Both Ngcebetsha and Nosinodi, who are wives in the AmaDlomo clan, said she was a dignified woman who never looked down on the downtrodden.
“When here in Qunu she was like any other rural villager, spoke like us, wore what we wore, and did everything that a wife of AmaDlomo is expected to do,” said Nosinodi. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Winnie’s special place in Qunu hearts
They spoke of Madikizela-Mandela as a princess of Ama- Ngutyana and AmaMpondo, a royal wife of AbaThembu, one of the villagers and a woman of Qunu, daughter-in-law of Nosekeni and Gadla – parents of Nelson Mandela – a traditionalist and cultural activist who embraced and promoted the culture and customary practices of AmaMpondo and AbaThembu
Senior AmaDlomo traditional leaders, including Nkosi Mfundo Mtirara and Nkosi Zanomthetho Mtirara as well as Nkosikazi Nokwanele Balizululu, who are closely related to Madiba expressed their support for Madikizela-Mandela at a memorial service at the Methodist Church in Qunu yesterday.
Contralesa provincial secretary Nkosi Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo said Madikizela-Mandela had been involved in the formation of Contralesa. “She was in fact the first treasurer-general of Contralesa and she played a pivotal role in promoting traditional leadership in the country at the time when many did not want traditional leaders,” he said.
The memorial service was organised by the ANC and ANC Women’s League in the OR Tambo region in conjunction with the Qunu community and their leaders.
“Mam’uNobandla will forever remain the wife of Dalibhunga, the wife of AmaDlomo. It is foreign that when a woman is divorced in civil court she is no more regarded as the wife of that family, that clan.
“We all know Mam’uNobandla…never took a resolution to confirm the divorce and do what is known as ukukhethwa kweenkomo, where if a woman is no longer regarded as a wife, her in-laws would take home some of the lobola cattle. This never happened in the case of Nobandla.
“I was shocked to see us belittled by the documentary on TV,” said Nkosi Mfundo Mtirara, referring to the documentary Winnie screened on eNCA on Wednesday night.
This was in sharp contrast to what AmaDlomo elder Napilisi Mandela, said on the documentary. Napilisi was reported as saying they did not consider Madikizela-Mandela as a member of the family since her divorce, something Mfundo said was shocking to hear.
“We must not shy away from our cultural processes and adopt western culture for the benefit of others. Nobandla is not an ex-wife of AmaDlomo, but died as a wife of AmaDlomo. She died a senior family member of AmaDlomo. She remains Mrs Mandela,” said Mfundo, who is one of the senior members of AmaDlomo and senior traditional leaders.
Nosinodi Mandela and Nothobile Ngcebetsha, as well as Thoko Mandela, spoke of Madikizela-Mandela as a woman who respected the custom of the Mandelas and stuck to customary practices.
Both Ngcebetsha and Nosinodi, who are wives in the AmaDlomo clan, said she was a dignified woman who never looked down on the downtrodden.
“When here in Qunu she was like any other rural villager, spoke like us, wore what we wore, and did everything that a wife of AmaDlomo is expected to do,” said Nosinodi. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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