Winnie does it for cows

06 August 2014 - 02:00 By Abongile Mgaqelwa
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Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. File photo.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. File photo.
Image: Sunday Times

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's concern over the well-being of her late former husband's starving cattle is the reason behind her audacious bid for Madiba's Qunu home in Eastern Cape.

According to The Daily Dispatch, a letter stating her concern for the livestock has been written to Madiba's estate's executors - Judge President Themba Sangoni, Deputy Judge President Dikgang Moseneke and George Bizos.

This letter follows one written on Nelson Mandela's birthday - July 18 - in which Madikizela-Mandela made a claim against the Qunu home that the former president left to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The claim will be discussed by all three executors tomorrow.

"The issue has become more urgent because you have livestock that is not being taken care of, forcing the MEC to intervene.

"The animals are not in good shape. It is not right that there isn't a specific person to oversee the farm," said Mvuzo Notyesi, Madikizela-Mandela's attorney, yesterday.

On Friday last week the provincial government took feed and veterinarians to the home to help save the former statesman's cattle.

According to Madikizela-Mandela, the property belongs to her and her descendants - daughters Zindzi and Zenani Mandela-Dlamini and their children - as she acquired it in 1989 while she was still married to Mandela.

However, not everyone in the family supports her bid to claim the farm.

Ndileka Mandela, Madiba's grandchild, said she had accepted the contents of her grandfather's will "as they stand. Outside of that, I think people should go work for a living," said Ndileka.

AbaThembu kingdom royal family spokesman and King Buyelekhaya Dalind- yebo's uncle, Chief Daludumo Mtirara, said the AmaDlomo family would only entertain Madikizela-Mandela's claim if it had come from her son, and since the couple did not have a son, Madikizela-Mandela did not have a leg to stand on, Mtirara said.

"All we know is that we identified that place (the Qunu house) for him (Madiba), not his wife. It was a place we saw befitting of Nkosi Dalibhunga (Mandela's praise name).

"AmaDlomo recognise Mam'uNosizwe (Graça) as the one who would make a rightful claim.

"Mam'uNobandla (Winnie) is not the wife in that home. That home is for the entire Mandela family and the heir is Nkosi Zwelivelile (Mandla)," he said.

Cultural expert Nomboniso Gasa said any claim to the property would have been covered by the divorce settlement.

"It is going to be interesting to see how this pans out, because one would assume that when a divorce settlement was made it involved all the assets they had at that particular time.

"Unless in the divorce decree there's a proviso that says the settlement covers the civil marriage, and all assets and properties that can be covered customarily are excluded. If she has that then she has the right to claim."

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