Daily Sun (July 5 2013) - MANDLA Mandela had his day in court . . . but lost! So he used an international media briefing . . .AND HANDED OUT SOME VERY PERSONAL INSULTS!
In spite of severe opposition by Mandla, on Wednesday the bodies of Nelson Mandela's three dead children were exhumed from their graves in Mvezo and moved back to Qunu. Yesterday Mandla held a media conference at Mvezo, Eastern Cape, and lashed out at his brother Ndaba and other family members.
With his mother, his wife and other family members to support him, Mandla said he was highly disappointed with his brother Ndaba. "He claims in media reports I was born out of wedlock. I wish he would say that in the presence of my father," he said.
"I want to remind him that I do not hang our dirty linen as a family in public." Then he said: "He knows very well that my father impregnated a married woman and he is a result of that act."
Ndaba claims Mandla should not lead the people because he was born out of wedlock. Mandla said Ndaba should be very careful about his insults. "Particularly at my mother, who still sits by my side and makes sure that I wake up every morning to serve my community," he said.
He said his aunt, Makaziwe instructed him to remove the remains and bury them in secret in Qunu where she is preparing a grave for Madiba, his grandfather. "I didn't follow those instructions, because they didn't come from my grandfather," he said. "I was waiting for instructions from my grandfather or his wife, Graca Machel."
He said he won't challenge the court ruling that the bodies be moved to Qunu but insisted that he followed protocol when moving the bones in 2011. Mandla said everyone wants to be a Mandela and criticised the applicants in the court case. "Many people have been parading as the Mandela family in the day to day decisions of the Mandela family," he said.
"The Amuah and Balfour families should look after their own family matters and stay out of Mandela matters." He said the families used the opportunity to seek revenge on a soft target like him. Speaking about Makaziwe, he said she was now Mrs Amuah and should focus on Amuah family issues. He said all she has done was sow division in the family.
"Why is it suddenly urgent now when it wasn't urgent before?" he asked. He said he had the right to decide where his own father, Makgatho should be buried. "I am the chief of Mvezo and the head of the royal house of Mandela," Mandla said.
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