Johannesburg – A bitter dispute has erupted within the Mandela family regarding the future of Nelson Mandela’s Houghton home, the site of his final years. At least three of his grandchildren are preparing legal action to prevent a potential sale of the property, which has fallen into a state of disrepair.
The conflict pits Ndaba Mandela and his brothers, Mbuso and Andile, against their aunt, Makaziwe Mandela, Mandela’s eldest daughter. Ndaba expressed his outrage to the Sunday Times, stating, “Why is Aunt Maki [Makaziwe] trying to take that away from us orphans? Mbuso, Andile and I are preparing court papers as we want to go to court against the trustees and fight this and indicate the trustees’ failure to discharge their fiduciary duties.”
At the heart of the matter is the interpretation of Nelson Mandela’s will. The will stipulates that the house, where Mandela passed away on December 5th, 2013, should be occupied by the children of his late son, Makgatho – Mandla, Mbuso, Ndaba, and Andile.
Specific clauses within the will read: “I bequeath … the Houghton property to the Nelson Mandela Trust. It must grant, or procure the grant of the right to occupy the Houghton property, free of any consideration, to Mandla Dalibunga Sizwe Mandela.”
Further, the will states: “I also wish that he should live in the house together with his siblings during his lifetime and that the trustees of the Nelson Mandela Trust decide for what special purpose the house may be used thereafter in perpetuity.”
Finally, the will expresses Mandela’s wish that “it should also serve as a place of gathering of the Mandela family to maintain its unity long after my death.”
Instead of fostering unity, however, the house has become a source of intense family conflict. Tensions escalated earlier this year when renovations, undertaken by the Collen Mashawana Foundation at no cost, were abruptly halted. Ndaba stated that he and Ndileka Mandela had agreed to the renovations, which included repairs to the pool, addressing water damage in the garage, and demolishing damaged kitchen walls.
However, the trustees stopped the work just three months in, removing workers and changing the locks. Ndaba directly blamed Makaziwe for the interruption.
“There are no fights in the Mandela family, the renovations were stopped by one person. It was aunt Maki and the executors of the trust who stopped the renovations. You need to get hold of her and ask her why she did that. Nelson Mandela has written in black and white that the house has to be a family house and that should override everything.”
Adding further complexity to the situation, Ndaba revealed that a family meeting six years prior resulted in a vote favouring the sale of the property.
“The meeting happened before Covid, there were about 15 people in that meeting and 10 voted in favour of selling,” he explained.
However, he asserted that the family's sentiment has since shifted, with a majority now favouring the preservation of the house as a family home. He also expressed frustration over what he perceives as jealousy within the family regarding his ownership of other properties.
“Why would you not honour the wishes of Madiba’s will? I am one of the custodians of the Houghton house, I inherited my father’s house in Norwood and I also own an apartment in Cape Town. Now the family are very jealous,” he said.
The house has been vacant for four years since the three brothers moved out in 2020 following a dispute with the trustees over utility bills, which had tripled to R50,000 per month.
When contacted for comment, Makaziwe referred inquiries to the trustees, Wim Trengove and Gcina Malindi. Trengove, a senior counsel, stated that the trustees had yet to decide on the future of the property, saying, “The trustees are not in dispute with anybody … we will only take this decision after consultation with the entire family.”
He confirmed that a previous consultation indicated a majority preference for selling the house, but emphasized the need for further family consultation.
“But that was some time ago and we want to give the whole family another opportunity to voice their opinions on the matter. In the meantime, individual members of the family have no authority to take matters in their own hands,” he said.
Ndaba stated his intention to refurnish the house, claiming that furniture had been removed, before determining its future use. Ndileka Mandela corroborated Ndaba’s account, stating that a significant portion of the family, including her sister Nandi and Mandla Mandela, opposed the sale. She questioned the trustees’ opposition to renovations, arguing that improving the property would increase its sale value.
She also accused the trustees of being influenced by family members who favour selling the house. “My grandfather knew each and every one of us very well. That’s why he crafted his will like he did. He knew that the people who would protect that house with their blood are Ndaba, Mbuso and Andile because they grew up in that house,” she said.
Ndileka also voiced her willingness to pursue legal action to uphold Mandela’s wishes. She highlighted the deep divisions within the family, stating, “Relations have broken down and Madiba was the only one able to pull us together — and he’s gone.”
Beverley Lekoloane, spokesperson for the Collen Mashawana Foundation, confirmed their involvement in the aborted renovations, stating that the project aimed to preserve a vital piece of South African heritage. The Nelson Mandela Foundation, however, confirmed it was not involved in the matter.
