A charge brought against Mandla Mandela after he failed to pay maintenance to his estranged first wife, Tando Mabunu-Mandela, was withdrawn yesterday.

In an eleventh-hour move, Mandla paid the R47000 in maintenance he owed Mabunu-Mandela.

The two are going through a bitter divorce dating back to 2009.

Mabunu-Mandela's lawyer, Wesley Hayes, said Mandla had owed R100000 in maintenance, but had paid all the money in instalments.

"He had paid what he owed in arrears and the last of what was owed was paid in three hours ago," said Hayes, after prosecutor Kethelwa Mphi asked the Mthatha Magistrate's Court to drop charges against Mandla.

Approached for comment, Mandla and his lawyer, Gary Jansen, declined, referring the reporter to Mphi.

Last month, Mandla was jailed for an hour after magistrate Nkokeli Mdodana authorised a warrant for his arrest for failure to appear at his maintenance hearing.

Mabunu-Mandela had laid charges against him for failing to pay monthly maintenance of R12500.

Yesterday, she said since her husband had paid the remainder of what he owed, and a garnishee order had been placed on his parliament salary, she would no longer have to worry about the maintenance.

The garnishee order placed on Mandla's parliamentary salary in August compels his employer to deduct the R12500 maintenance before paying him his salary. Asked about the number of charges she had brought against her husband, Mabunu-Mandela replied: "Well you have to do what you have to do."

National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesman Luxolo Tyali confirmed Mandla's payment of maintenance and the withdrawal of charges.

Tyali said the garnishee order would continue for "as long as the court order is effective".