By Zavela Mkwabe
When the world commemorates the day of Nelson Mandela’s passing next year, his gravesite in Qunu will be opened to the public.
This is according to his granddaughter, Ndileka Mandela speaking in Mthatha on Monday on behalf of the Mandela family at the ninth commemorative event of his passing.
Mandela was laid to rest a few hundred metres from his Qunu home in the Eastern Cape on 15 December 2013 where his own parents are buried.
Plans to open the gravesite, which is currently accessible only to family, in time for the centenary celebrations were stalled by a court battle after Mandela’s second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela launched a legal claim for the Qunu home.
She claimed that according to the abaThembu custom, the property belonged to her as it had been acquired during her marriage to Mandela.
The court, however, ruled against her stating that contesting the will after her former husband’s passing would prejudice Mandela’s heirs.
The Eastern Cape government had approved plans six years ago to turn the Mandela gravesite into a tourist attraction along his birthday place in Mvezo, Oliver Tambo’s birthplace in Mbizana and Chris Hani’s birthplace in Cofimvaba which would form part of a heritage trail.
Ndileka Mandela said the family had received numerous requests, over the years, from the public who wanted to pay their respects to Nelson Mandela.
Pictured above: Ndileka Mandela speaking giving a speech at Nelson Mandela Commemoration
Image source: Supplied
