• Tweet

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Ndileka Mandela will be heading a school building project that was started by her grandfather and former president Nelson Mandela. Photo: ELMOND JIYANE

Ndileka says the Nelson Mandela Foundation - which was responsible for building clinics and schools in rural areas before Madiba retired - has since stopped doing the work.

"His foundation has a new strategy. It has refocused its energy towards the centre of memory, which is digital archives. It has collaborated with Google on this," she says.

"There are business people who are still willing to continue where my granddad left, helping to rebuild his old school."

Ndileka was speaking at Clarkebury Secondary School near Engcobo in Eastern Cape.

The historic but dilapidated school has produced two former ANC presidents - Mandela and the late Alfred Xuma. The renovation of the school will be her first project. She plans to convert Madiba's former classroom, which is being used as a staff room, into a science laboratory.

With the help of the SA Bureau of Standards and Tim Tebeila Foundation, she will also renovate other buildings, including the hostels. "My granddad is passionate about all children receiving free basic education. When I told him about taking forward his legacy, my granddad ... looked at me and said, 'that's very good darling'."

The spokesman for the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Sello Hatang, yesterday admitted that the foundation was no longer building schools. "We no longer build schools but we support the Department of Basic Education's 94 plus schools initiative."

Ndileka said she would do her charity work through her trust - Thembekile Mandela Trust - named after her father, who was Madiba's son from his first marriage. Thembekile died in a car accident in 1969.

Ndileka recalled sometime back when the family sat around the table with Madiba and about a fight between neighbours over chickens.

He wanted them to mediate between the fighting families.

"We laughed him off and said, 'you can't be serious'. But he insisted, telling us about the importance of connecting with communities," she recalled.

She said the school is one of the 94 that have been identified by the Department of Basic Education as needing help.

"This school is supposed to be a historic site because Madiba is our icon," Ndileka said.

Tim Tebeila of the Tebeila Foundation said they were happy to help the community. "We are here to touch the lives and to improve a black child's life," he said.

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Sun May 19 14:57:45 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 26, 2012

truthhurt

Those are very big shoes to fill, she must not screw it up.
Report Abuse

Jul 26, 2012

Stumtum

she wont screw up, check the side of family she comes from.
Report Abuse

Jul 26, 2012

JnrJack

now this is a family thing, why cant it be someone neutral atleast????
Report Abuse

Jul 26, 2012

Tokaai

I really hope it does. This country is in a mess with too much racial hatred. I just stumbled along this website: http://praag.org/?p=838
Report Abuse

Jul 26, 2012

nyobannahle!!!

JnrJack
now this is a family thing, why cant it be someone neutral atleast????
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
why someone neutral and why cant it be a family thing??????

for sho u dont sho what u talking about
Report Abuse

Jul 26, 2012

Punkies

I wish her all the luck and hope she will pull it off for Tata's sake.
Report Abuse

Jul 26, 2012

LBS

@Tokaai
I really hope it does. This country is in a mess with too much racial hatred. I just stumbled along this website: http://praag.org/?p=838

---------------------------------

Shocking isn't it?
Even worse is the lack of outrage at the senseless brutality by ANY politicial in this country!!
Report Abuse

Jul 26, 2012

ThirdEye

Let hope she will do fine.
Report Abuse

Jul 26, 2012

GORRILAH

Eish Madiba is old jong He doesnt even know his Family members they all have to produce passorts or id's to verify themselves to Him but I know one thing for sure He can see Winnie from far. I am sure even Graca produces her passport for Madiba to verify her eish but one person that Madiba wont need a passport or id to verify is Winnie.
Report Abuse

Jul 26, 2012

20fallguy

@gorrilah
LOL
Report Abuse

Read all 16 comments