MANDLA Mandela's ability to have children has been thrown into question by his estranged wife, Tando Mabunu-Mandela, in papers filed in the Mthatha High Court claiming he is infertile.
Mabunu-Mandela made the claim in a replying affidavit in an action to nullify Mandela's third marriage, describing Mandela's third marriage to a young KwaZulu-Natal woman, Nkosikazi Nodiyala-Mandela, as bigamous.
Mandela ignored a court interdict against marrying Nodiyala - formerly known as Mbalenhle Makhathini - and a traditional ceremony was held at Mvezo Great Place on Christmas Eve last year.
After Mabunu-Mandela asked the court to declare the marriage null and void, Mandela then filed an answering affidavit opposing her application, saying he needed to take another wife for traditional reasons.
However, yesterday Mabunu-Mandela filed papers in the same court saying Mandela was unable to have children and therefore his main reason for the latest marriage was pointless.
"In this respect, I assert that the first respondent [Mandela] has in any event fertility issues which render him incapable of producing an heir through natural conception," she said in the papers.
Mandela could not be reached for comment and his Cape Town-based attorney, Gary Jansen, could also not be reached.
It is not the first time Mabunu-Mandela has fought Mandela's marriages.
In 2011 she got the Mthatha High Court to nullify his marriage to beauty Anais Grimaud. They were married in a lavish traditional ceremony in 2010.
In the latest papers Mabunu-Mandela further alleges that Mandela is not even the rightful chief of Mvezo.
"The chieftainship was initially sought to be conferred on Dr Nelson R Mandela, the first respondent's grandfather, who respectfully declined the offer.
"On the first respondent's prompting his grandfather, it was requested by the first respondent that the chieftainship be conferred to him," the papers say.
"In other words, the first respondent can never aver (assert) that his chieftainship is an hereditary title or one where he is regarded as heir apparent.
"The tribe has never regarded the first respondent as a true chief - he obtained that title as a consolation. Further, the fact that the first respondent was born out of wedlock, traditionally disentitles him from assuming chieftainship," the papers read.
Mandela 'infertile' - first wife
MANDLA Mandela's ability to have children has been thrown into question by his estranged wife, Tando Mabunu-Mandela, in papers filed in the Mthatha High Court claiming he is infertile.
Mabunu-Mandela made the claim in a replying affidavit in an action to nullify Mandela's third marriage, describing Mandela's third marriage to a young KwaZulu-Natal woman, Nkosikazi Nodiyala-Mandela, as bigamous.
Mandela ignored a court interdict against marrying Nodiyala - formerly known as Mbalenhle Makhathini - and a traditional ceremony was held at Mvezo Great Place on Christmas Eve last year.
After Mabunu-Mandela asked the court to declare the marriage null and void, Mandela then filed an answering affidavit opposing her application, saying he needed to take another wife for traditional reasons.
However, yesterday Mabunu-Mandela filed papers in the same court saying Mandela was unable to have children and therefore his main reason for the latest marriage was pointless.
"In this respect, I assert that the first respondent [Mandela] has in any event fertility issues which render him incapable of producing an heir through natural conception," she said in the papers.
Mandela could not be reached for comment and his Cape Town-based attorney, Gary Jansen, could also not be reached.
It is not the first time Mabunu-Mandela has fought Mandela's marriages.
In 2011 she got the Mthatha High Court to nullify his marriage to beauty Anais Grimaud. They were married in a lavish traditional ceremony in 2010.
In the latest papers Mabunu-Mandela further alleges that Mandela is not even the rightful chief of Mvezo.
"The chieftainship was initially sought to be conferred on Dr Nelson R Mandela, the first respondent's grandfather, who respectfully declined the offer.
"On the first respondent's prompting his grandfather, it was requested by the first respondent that the chieftainship be conferred to him," the papers say.
"In other words, the first respondent can never aver (assert) that his chieftainship is an hereditary title or one where he is regarded as heir apparent.
"The tribe has never regarded the first respondent as a true chief - he obtained that title as a consolation. Further, the fact that the first respondent was born out of wedlock, traditionally disentitles him from assuming chieftainship," the papers read.
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