Lucky 13 for Mandela clan

Former president Nelson Mandela's 13th great-grandchild was born in Johannesburg yesterday morning.

His granddaughter, Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway, gave birth to a boy, weighing a healthy 3kg, through a C-section at the Park Lane Clinic.

In an exclusive interview with The Times, Zazi's husband, David Manaway, whom she met while studying psychology at the Clark Atlanta University in the US, said he felt "great, wonderful and proud" after the arrival of their third child, Zenkosi John Brunson.

Manaway said his wife was "too tired" to be interviewed.

The pair have two other children - a son Ziyanda, 10, and a two-year-old daughter called Ziphokhazi.

"All I can say is that both mother and baby are fine," said Manaway. "Her mom [Zenani Mandela], grandmother [Winnie Madikizela-Mandela], her brothers and sisters, pretty much the whole family, have been here to see her," he said.

Zaziwe's younger sister Zama Swati, who was also by Zazi's bedside, said: "I'm overjoyed but more importantly I am just happy and glad that mom and baby are both healthy".

Last year, Mandela welcomed his 12th great-grandchild in a traditional ceremony in his homestead of Qunu in the Eastern Cape, and named him Qheya Zanethemba "to bring hope".

The boy is Chief Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela and wife Nobuhle's. In June 2010, one of Madiba's great-granddaughters, Zenani, died in a car crash after attending the Fifa World Cup kick-off concert held at Orlando Stadium, Soweto.

And last June, Zenani's mother, Zoleka, lost another child when her son - which she had with 7de Laan actor Sekoati Tsubane - was born three months premature.

Swati, 32, could not be drawn to comment on the progress of the reality show she, Zaziwe, 34, and their 27-year-old cousin Dorothy Adjoa Amuah (Makaziwe's daughter) announced they were filming in September last year.

Makaziwe is the daughter of Madiba and his first wife Evelyn Ntoko Mase, whom he divorced in 1957.

During the announcement of their untitled reality TV show, the three cousins boasted a hot production team, led by US producer Rick Leed - best known for the hit reality show Dr 90210 - and local director Graeme Swanepoel.

Amuah had said during the announcement in Johannesburg last September: "By no means are we representatives of the Mandela family, but our family is so intertwined that you will see some of them in it."

She was also quick to stress that the Mandela name would not be tarnished because the show would be "dignified" and "not trashy".

No production schedule has been released, but Manaway revealed that parts of his wife's delivery in hospital yesterday had been filmed for the show.