WINNIE Madikizela-Mandela says Nelson Mandela should never have given the Qunu property to his third wife Graça Machel as she owns the "whole world in Mozambique".

In an exclusive interview with Sowetan's sister newspaper the Daily Dispatch yesterday, she described her divorce from the world statesman as a "blessing in disguise".

This was Madikizela-Mandela's first interview since Mandela died a year ago. She was in Qunu for the family's ukukhulula izila (cleansing ritual) at the weekend to mark a year since Mandela's passing.

She has taken her fight for ownership of the Qunu property to court after Mandela bequeathed the home to the Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Family Trust on behalf of his widow Machel, her children and the Mandela family.

Madikizela-Mandela wants the court to declare the registration of the property in Mandela's name null and void, arguing she had personally acquired the land.

"I let him live on my property, I wasn't going to do that to him [evict him] simply because he was married to a third wife," she said.

"I'm not that sort of person. I never dreamt in a million years that he would at any point give my property away. I only knew when he passed on that he bequeathed my property to his third wife and her children."

Asked why she waited until Mandela died to challenge the matter, she said: "All I was interested in was my property. It is such a pity he is no longer there for me to ask just what on earth would have brought him to elect that he would take my land and give it away to someone who actually has a whole world in Mozambique, because she's got her four houses in Mozambique.

"This property is mine and I attained it when the old man was on Robben Island, and there's no dispute about that."

She said she bore no grudges against Machel and that her divorce from Mandela was a blessing in disguise. "It was fine. I never dreamt for a single moment that I bore her any grudge. I was much better off remaining as I was . to me the divorce was a blessing in disguise because I continued being myself.

"I never basked in the shadow of the old man. I created my own legacy."

A senior member of the Mandela family who asked not to be named supported her claim to the property.

"The elders in the family, during the meeting yesterday [Sunday], said the only person who can rightfully claim the Qunu home is Nobandla [Winnie]. Evelyn's house [also in Qunu] is the one currently occupied by Rolihlahla's cousin's family."

Mandla Mandela could not be reached while Ndaba, Mandela's other grandson, would not comment.

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