‘It’s not the same’
Nelson Mandela‘s grandson has criticised the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle for allegedly comparing the scenes in South Africa following her marriage to his grandfather being freed from life imprisonment.
Zwelivelile ‘Mandla’ Mandela told the MailOnline that he was “surprised” to hear the remarks she made mention in a recent exclusive of her own with The Cut. The 41-year-old discussed her marriage to the Duke Prince Harry, life in LA, being typecast as an actor, giving birth and her emergence into the British Royal Family.
In the article entitled ‘Meghan of Montecito’, the former Suits star turned resigned royal recalled an encounter she had at a London premiere for the remake of the Lion King in 2019, where she claims a South African actor said to her: “I just need you to know, when you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison”.
Responding to the second-hand comments, Mandla said: “Madiba’s [Mandela’s clan name which means ‘father’ in Xhosa] celebration was based on overcoming 350 years of colonialism with 60 years of a brutal apartheid regime in South Africa. So It cannot be equated to as the same.”
While the remarks are yet to be fully verified and Markle did not reveal who she says made them, Zwelivelile says the celebrations in his country following his grandad’s release were for much more impassioned and serious reasons than “marrying a white prince”.
Mandela’s grandson, now 48, is a South African MP and also the current chief of the late the Mvezo tribe and Traditional Council – the same clan his grandfather belonged to.
His grandfather served 27 years in prison before being released and re-uniting civil opponents and going on to lead his country as the first President in the post-apartheid era for five years from 1994 to 1999.
Related links
- TV host divides opinion after laughing at Meghan Markle’s shocking scare over Archie’s nursery fire
- Students to be punished with a paddle as school brings back corporal punishment
- Newsreader hits back at viewer who called her Maori face tattoo a ‘bad look’
