National
Winnie takes Mandla to court to stop Qunu meeting: report─── 05:35 Fri, 09 Jan 2015
Johannesburg - Yet another Mandela family feud is heading to court.
Later former president Nelson Mandela's ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, is trying to stop Mandla Mandela from hosting a family meeting at Nelson Mandela’s Qunu home.
City Press reported that Madikizela-Mandela, who has recently challenged her late ex-husband’s estate by claiming the property in the Eastern Cape as her own, wants an interdict to prevent the 16 January meeting.
The meeting, which is set to host all the royal families of the AbaThembu nation, the AmaDlomo, is designed to discuss Madikizela-Mandela’s claim on the property and Mandla’s role as head of the Mandelas.
Madikizela-Mandela’s lawyer Mvuzo Notyesi told City Press: “Yes, we are interdicting the meeting. Where are they going to have this meeting? Not in Qunu, surely, because they can’t hold a meeting at Mama Winnie’s house without her blessings.”
Mandla Mandela confirmed that he was served with court papers by the Mthatha sheriff yesterday regarding the interdict.
Arguments will be heard in the Eastern cape High Court in Mthatha on Tuesday.
Mandla refused to comment any further.
Daludumo Mtirara, a close ally of Mandla’s, said: “There is clearly a problem in the Mandela household, we need time to sort these things out. We got the court papers that say we are not allowed to have a meeting in that Qunu property. We are not really shocked but we are still trying to find a solution.”
AbaThembu king Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo’s spokesperson, Mfundo Mtirara, said the king would be in court on Tuesday to support Madikizela-Mandela.
“We are fully behind Mama Winnie in this matter; she has every right to that house based on AbaThembu custom. And that meeting which has been called by Mandla and his puppets is illegitimate,” Mfundo Mtirara said.
