Winnie battling for customary law oppressed
The SCA has granted special leave to appeal to Nelson Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela on her claims to the late President's Qunu home on the basis of customary law. Madikizela-Mandela unsuccessfully challenged the decision of the executors to exclude her from the Qunu home's ownership in the Eastern Cape High Court (Mthatha). She also lost the appeal.
Mandela had bequeathed the Qunu property to the Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Trust on behalf of his widow Graca Machel, her children and the rest of the Mandela family.
According to an SABC News report, her lawyer, Advocate Mvuzo Notyesi, explains that Madikizela-Mandela sees herself as acting on behalf of all women married under customary law. ‘The perspective of Mrs Mandela is that, women that are married in terms of customary law, particularly the majority of women in this country... they have been seriously oppressed, and no one has taken up that struggle. She is now taking up that struggle as part of her legacy. It is on those bases that she persists on this particular case.’
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
