Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has committed his government to helping the Mandela family restore the dilapidated Houghton house where Nelson Mandela once lived.
Last December, South Africans were left in shock after seeing the once-plush home in ruins following reports of the family trust’s failure to keep up with the municipal bills.
Reports have indicated that the famous house in 12th Avenue started falling apart after Mandela’s grandchildren moved out in 2020. There were reports of a squabble between the members of the Nelson Mandela Trust who allegedly failed to keep up with the rising cots associated with maintaining the property.
On Monday, during his State of the Province address, Lesufi revealed his desire to help restore the house which has hosted prominent international figures including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Naomi Campbell, Michael Jackson, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo to name but a few.
Lesufi said it pained him to see the derelict status of the former statesmen’s home which was why his government had decided to lend a helping hand.
He said he would be in contact with the family in order to receive guidance from them on how best to help in the matter.
“To see the house of our founding president Mandela in that state was not only embarrassing but it was hurtful. We have resolved, notwithstanding the family differences, to intervene and restore this house to its original beauty. We owe it to Tata Mandela,” he said.
The latest reports come just weeks following an attempted auction of Mandela’s belongings which reportedly sparked divisions among the Mandela family.
Mandela’s 1993 original ID book, aviator sunglasses and reading glasses, famed “Madiba” clothing, walking sticks, briefcases, a silver goose tea set, a Robben Island tennis racket, and hearing aids were among the 70 objects scheduled for auction after they were advertised on the Guernsey Auction House website.
Reports indicated that the recently interdicted auction was the brainchild of Madiba’s daughter, Makaziwe Mandela, who allegedly wanted to use the money to fund a memorial garden in the Eastern Cape.
The auction, which had been initially planned for January 28, 2022, was put on hold by a legal battle between Makaziwe, Mandela’s former prison warder David Parr and the South African Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra), which had attempted to stop the sale.
In December, the court dismissed Sahra’s application for an interdict, saying there was little evidence to support the claim that the items were heritage objects. The agency, supported by the minister of sport, arts and culture Zizi Kodwa, successfully filed an application for to leave appeal the ruling. This resulted in the suspension of the auction which was intended for this past Thursday, February 22, 2024.
Last December, Independent Media reported that the mansion, which is a shadow of its former self, was apparently abandoned by members of the family after the electricity was cut, allegedly due to non-payment of rates.
Mandela’s grandchild, Mbuso Mandela, accused some of the trustees responsible for the Nelson Mandela Trust of collusion and failing to act in the best interests of the family.
“There is a lot of collusion happening between the trustees and the executor of the estate. Everybody knows that if you sit on the board of a trust, you get a stipend for maintaining the trust. I believe these guys are working together to ensure that the maintenance of this house does not happen and there may be an agenda to sell the house,” he said.
This week following the premier’s pronouncement, a spokesperson for the premier said the provincial government would be meeting the family in a bid to find a way to help restore the family home which was an important heritage symbol even though it was private property.
“The provincial government is committed to restoring historical sites like the Walter Sisulu Square and the Mandela House. They are important to the history of the country and the province.”
Attempts to get comment from the family were still unsuccessful at the time of going to publication.
Saturday Star