It is no longer news that former South African president, Nelson Mandela is now in a life support machine, fighting for his life in a hospital, the gists now is that his family is squabbling over his final resting place. The family is reportedly divided between his grandson Mandla Mandela, who wants the anti-apartheid icon buried at his birthplace in Mvezo village, and the rest of the family who want to respect his wish to be buried next to his children.



The controversy arose as Mandla had exhumed the bodies of his father Makgatho who died in 2005, uncle Thembekile who died in 1969 and aunt Makaziwe who deceased in 1948 from the family grave at Mandela’s homestead in Qunu and reburied them at his birthplace Mvezo in 2011.

The controversy started in a meeting held at Qunu homestead on Tuesday for an “ibhunga” or a meeting to discuss an important family matter. Mandla reportedly stormed out of the meeting as the family members sought that the bodies of Makgatho, Makaziwe and Thembekile be moved back to their original burial sites in Qunu.

According to them, the incident is making it impossible for Mandela to be buried next to his children because they are buried in Mvezo.