Who is a Mandela? Mandla sets the record straight

Chief Mandla Mandela on Tuesday said some members of the Ngcebetsha clan are not part of the core Mandela family.

“Many people who want to be on the bandwagon today, and even in this case we saw an individual insisting that they are the member of the core of the Mandelas. They are not members of my father's family, his brother Thembekile, my grandfather, or Nkosi Mphakanyiswa,”The South African Broadcaster quoted Chief Mandla Mandela as saying 

He called on members of the Ngcebetsha clan to stop interposing in the Mandela family affairs.

“They are part of a different family to the Ngcebetshas, yet they are claiming to be Mandelas, and I want again to repeat that the matters of the Mandela’s be discussed by the Mandelas and that will always be my call,” he was quoted by the SABC as saying.

The grandson of world icon Nelson Mandela was speaking at a media briefing in Mthatha on Tuesday following the Eastern Cape High court decision to rule out Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's bid to stop the family meeting that will take place in Qunu on Friday. 

He expressed his satisfaction at the outcome of the court case, adding that the Royal meeting which is to be held on Friday will resolve the problems the Mandela family has. 

“As the family, we are delighted about the judgement. This triumph is testimony that Madiba’s spirit lives on. The meeting on Friday is going on to resolve problems in the Mandela family,” Mandla said.