Mandla in roadside fracas

MANDLA Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, has been accused of roughing up a woman at a Qunu petrol station on Wednesday.

He has denied the allegation.

Mandela and an unidentified man allegedly left Amanda Liwani - a road construction worker - stranded at the petrol station after they wrestled her out of her bakkie, took her keys and driver's licence, and drove off in her vehicle.

Liwani said Mandela twisted her arm and the other man grabbed her legs to drag her out of the bakkie.

Mandela said Liwani's bakkie collided with his car as she was trying to pass him.

"She didn't stop at the scene where she bumped into my vehicle and we had to follow her to the filling station. That we assaulted her is not true," said Mandela.

Liwani reported the incident at the Bityi police station but claims the station commander tried to dissuade her from opening a case. Instead, she said, he took her to Mandela.

"The officer said he had apologised on my behalf to Mandela and returned my keys and licence. I wasn't happy with that because I feel I didn't do anything wrong," she said.

Yesterday, she returned to the police station to re-open the case and was given a J88 form - a police form showing the extent of a victim's injuries - to take to a doctor.