The battle for former President Nelson Mandela’s Qunu homestead is far from over, with his ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela set to take the fight over the ownership of his rural home to the SCA on 20 November. A Cape Times report says Madikizela-Mandela has argued that a court erred in ruling that she could have reasonably known from 1997 that the property was registered under Madiba’s name.

Head of the Mandela clan, Chief Mandla Mandela, yesterday threw his support behind the executors of Madiba’s estate – who are expected to oppose Madikizela-Mandela’s attempt to take over Qunu, the place where the former President is buried. The executors of the Mandela estate are primary respondents in the litigation.

‘The matter is simple. As you know, the executors of the estate are Advocate George Bizos, retired Judge Dikgang Moseneke and Judge Themba Sangoni. As the family we believe the matter is in reliable hands,’ Chief Mandela said.

However, in the fresh court application, Madikizela-Mandela’s heads of argument largely take aim at the judgment by the full Bench of the Eastern Cape High Court (Mthatha) in an April 2016 ruling – which dismissed her application for review of registration of the property.

Madikizela-Mandela is now appealing the dismissal of her review application at the SCA. She maintains the court erred in ruling against her on grounds she brought her application 17 years after the registration of the home.

Full Cape Times report (subscription needed)