The estate of anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has become mired in controversy, with Zenani Mandela Dlamini, the daughter of the late ANC leader, accused of embezzling assets from other family members.
Battles over property often erupt after the death of a wealthy person, and one of the country’s most prominent families appears to be no exception.
According to City Press, Madikizela-Mandela’s grandchildren said that the South African ambassador to South Korea was hiding their grandmother’s possessions and ignoring them.
These properties are believed to include her home in Soweto, her vehicles, valuables, bags and funeral payments.
This battle for the estate has been going on for years, with the family resorting to the courts.
Zondwa Mandela, grandson of the late “Father of South Africa”, Nelson Mandela, has since filed an injunction trying to stop the High Court process master appointing Zenani Mandela Dlamini in full charge of the assets.
In his affidavit filed on 10 January, he claimed that as a result of the death of his mother, Zindziswa Mandela-Hlungwane, he and his siblings became direct heirs to the Mandela fortune and were entitled to half of it.
He reportedly said the dispute began in 2020 when he learned of a letter written by Mandela Dlamini’s lawyers to the chief justice of the Supreme Court, demanding that she be appointed sole enforcer.
In response, his lawyers sent a letter to Mandela Dlamini’s lawyers that same year, outlining his rights as co-executor.
The siblings have reportedly instructed their lawyers to appoint the grandson as co-executor of the estate, succeeding their late mother and to protect their interests.
They are also said to have wanted a formal commitment not to transfer any assets.
Mandela Dlamini’s lawyers allegedly ignored the request and intend to appeal the request in court. According to reports, Zondwa Mandela said her lawyers failed to close Madikizela-Mandela’s estate, five years after her death.
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