Encomium
LATE South African President and freedom fighter, Nelson Mandela, left his $4.1 million estate for his third and last wife, Graca Machel, four children (including his late first son, Makgatho Mandela), 18 grandchildren, one great grandchild and eight children of late president of Mozambique, Samora Machel (two of which belong to Graca Machel).
Other beneficiaries of the late icon’s large heart are eight of his personal staffers, his political party, ANC and some education institutions, including those he attended.
His most popular wife, Winifred Madikizela Mandela, who he divorced in 1996 did not get anything.
ENCOMIUM Weekly brings you the list of who got what from Mandela’s estate.
GRACA MACHEL received specified assets, including four houses, jewelry, cars, money in bank accounts in her name, any art she wants from the Houghton property (Mandela’s house in Johannesburg). But she must waive any and all rights to his estate within 90 days (by South African marital law, the wife is entitled to half of her husband’s estate).
All of Graca Machel’s descendants’ bequests are to be paid to her and given at her discretion.
Aside this, Mandela also bequeathed to Graca Machel’s children Josina and Malengane Machel, 3,000,000 Rand (about $269,400) each.
Graca Machel’s six stepchildren (Samora Machel’s children by his previous wives) were awarded 100,000 Rands each. That is not all, the NRM Family Trust is to administer the Qunu property for the benefit of the Mandela family and Graca Machel and her two children, “to be used by my family in perpetuity in order to preserve the unity of the Mandela family.”
MAKAZIWE AMUAH MANDELA, is his eldest daughter from Mandela’s first wife, late Evelyn Ntoko Mase, who died in 2004. She received $300,068 and she is bequeathed as many Rands as required to set off the obligation.
LATE MAKGATHO MANDELA died in 2005 after the Will was written in 2004. He was Mandela’s eldest son. He received a loan of $300,136. He is bequeathed as many Rands as required to set off the obligation. In addition, the home in Houghton, Johannesburg where Mandela died will be used by his family.
Mandela further added, “It is my wish that it should also serve as a place of gathering of the Mandela family in order to maintain its unity after my death.”
ZINDZISWA MANDELA, is his eldest daughter from Winnie Mandela. Like all Mandela’s children, she already received a $300,000 loan and is bequeathed as many Rands as required to set off the obligation.
ZENANI MANDELA DLAMINI, his second daughter from Winnie Mandela, had already received $300,000 and is bequeathed as many Rands as required to set off the obligation.
NDILEKA MANDELA, his granddaughter received a loan of $300,204 and she is bequeathed as many Rands as required to set off the obligation.
NANDI MANDELA, another of his granddaughters already received a loan of $300,0137 and is bequeathed as many Rands as required to set off the obligation.
MANDLA MANDELA, his grandson and eldest son of late Makgatho Mandela got $300,000 of NRM Family Trust.
NDABA MANDELA, MBASO MANDELA, ANDILE MANDELA, all children of late Makgatho Mandela, his first son, also received $300,000 from the NRM Family Trust.
His other grandchildren such as DUMANI MANDELA, TUKWINI MANDELA, ADJAO AMUAH and KWEKU AMUAH (from Makaziwe Amuah Mandela, his eldest daughter), BAMBATHA, ZONDWA, GADHAFI, ZWELABO and ZOLEKA (from Zindziswa Mandela, is first daughter from Winnie), ZINHLE and ZAMASWAZI (from Zenani Mandela Dlamini (Winnie’s second daughter) all got 100,000 Rands (about $8,990 each).
Mandela’s only great grandson, ZOZUKO MANDELA, also got 100,000 Rands.
Eight of Nelson Mandela’s personal staffers, including his longest serving personal assistant, Zelda La Grange (a white South African lady) got 50,000 Rands (about $4,500) each.
All the schools and educational institutions he attended in South Africa, are to receive more than 100,000 Rands.
Mandela also left equivalent amounts for grants and scholarships at other schools.
The African National Congress, the political platform he used to fight apartheid throughout is to receive a portion of his royalties.
His Will was first written in 2004 and last amended in 2008.
Why MANDELA excluded WINNIE in his Will
SINCE Monday, February 3, 2014, when late South African president, Nelson Mandela’s Will was read to the public, tongues have been wagging on how his former wife and co-freedom fighter, Winifred Madikizela Mandela’s name was conspicuously missing from the beneficiaries of the late icon’s estate.
Many were even surprised that not only did Graca Machel, his third and last wife benefitted generously from his estate but also her two children and six step children of her late Mozambican president and husband, Samora Machel.
Yet, Winnie, his wife of 38 years who stood by him through his 27 years incarceration and who was also in the forefront of the struggle was not mentioned at all in the Will.
However, a new book recently published entitled, Knowing Mandela by John Carlin has revealed why Nelson Mandela never forgave his former wife both in life and death.
According to the writer, Mandela never forgave his former wife for her involvement in the kidnapping and eventual murder of Stomple Moeketsi, a 14 year-old black boy that was suspected to be a spy for the government.
She was convicted of the offence but was saved from going to jail by Mandela.
The second reason given by the writer was her illicit romantic affairs with other men before and after Mandela came out of prison. According to the writer, “The truth was that Winnie had had several lovers during Mandela’ long absence. In the months before his release, she had been having an affair with Dali Mpofu, a lawyer 30 years her junior and a member of her defence team. She carried on with the affair after Mandela left prison. ANC members close to Mandela knew what was going on, as they did about her frequent bouts of drunkenness.”
The book further revealed that Mandela’s press conference in 1992, where he announced separation from his wife was due to a letter written by Winnie to her young lover Dali Mpofu, which was leaked to the press and was published by a national newspaper two weeks before that press conference by him. Part of the letter read thus: “…Before I am through with you, you are going to learn a bit of honesty and sincerity and know what betrayal of one’s love means to a woman…Remember always how much you have hurt and humiliated me…I keep telling you, the situation is deteriorating at home, you are not bothered because you are satisfying yourself every night with a woman. I won’t be your bloody fool, Dali.”
It was not that Mandela did not know about the affairs between his wife and Mpofu. According to the writer, he knew and even warned her not to go to America with him (Mpofu) during an ANC-related trip. She did not listen. She went with Mpofu on that trip and when Mandela phoned Winnie in her hotel room in America, it was Mpofu who picked it.
Again, six months after their separation from each other, Winnie again showed her promiscuity openly at the wedding of her daughter, Zindzi (to the father of her fourth child). “Bizarrely, one of the guests at Zindzi’s wedding, prominently positioned near the top table, was the ‘white hag’ Winnie had derided in her letter to Mpofu, and she was sitting next to a man I know to be another former lover of Winnie’s,” the writer said. He continues, “It also would have been difficult for Mandela to miss the menacing glances Winnie cast towards the ‘hag’ although I hope he missed the moment when Winnie brushed past her and hissed at her former lover: “Go on! Take her! Take her!”
Nelson Mandela finally made his feelings toward his estranged wife known to the world during their divorce trial in 1996. Hear him: “Can I put it simply, my lord? If the entire universe tried to persuade me to reconcile with the defendant (Winnie), I would not…I am determined to get rid of this marriage.”
He (Mandela) did not shirk from describing before the court the disappointment and misery of married life after he returned from prison. Winnie, he (Mandela) explained, did not share his bed once in the two years after their union. “I was the loneliest man,” he told the court.
– TOLANI ABATI
