The former wife of the late Nelson Mandela has lost her legal bid to get ownership of the first black South African president’s home at his birthplace in the Eastern Cape.
The Mandela family welcomes the judgment against Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and says she should never have taken it to court.
The anti-apartheid stalward’s lawyer say they will appeal the decision.
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Nelson Mandela left the Qunu property to all members of the Mandela family as a place to unify them.
He was married to Graça Machel when he died on December 5 2013.
His former wife was left out of his last will and testament released two months later.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s lawyers claim that the property was obtained while she was married to Mandela so in terms of AbaThembu custom it belongs to her irrespective of the divorce.
Advocate George Bizos, one of the executors of the former president’s will, opposed the action lodged by Madikizela-Mandela. The matter was dismissed with costs.
The royal family of the Kingdom of AbaThembu say the ruling shows Nelson Mandela was indeed a man of integrity who properly applied his mind before he finalised his will.
They believe Madikizela-Mandela was misled by some members of the family and that she did not receive the legal advice she needed.