Johannesburg: Nelson Mandela's grandson
will tie the knot with a third wife in a traditional ceremony
on Christmas Eve on Saturday despite a court ban on the wedding,
according to a report.
All systems were go for chief Mandla Mandela's union
with Swazi princess Mbali Makhathini at the Mvezo Royal Palace
in rural Eastern Cape province, family spokesman Sidima
Mnqanqeni told Sapa news agency.
"We are confident that there will be no disturbance and
the marriage is on," said Mnqanqeni.
Mandla is a grandson of former South African president
Nelson Mandela and also a member of parliament. He heads the
Mandela family clan.
A South African court Thursday granted his first and
currently only legal wife a ban on him marrying another woman,
for the second time in seven months.
Tando Mabunu-Mandela successfully claimed her civil law
union with Mandla Mandela blocks his marriage to customary
wives.
South Africa allows a person to be married either to one
spouse under civil law or several spouses under customary law.
He cannot have wives under the different laws at the same
time.
Mabunu-Mandela had her estranged husband's 2010 marriage
to a woman from Reunion Island declared illegal in May this
year on the same grounds.
A sheriff this week seized assets worth 100,000 rands
(USD 12,000, 9,000 euros) from Mandla after he failed to pay
maintenance to Mabunu-Mandela pending their divorce that has
been lagging since 2009.
Mandla Mandela blamed his wife for the delays in the
divorce, but said he would make a new divorce offer.
"Instead of engaging these offers seriously, Ms Mabunu
appears intent on delaying the matter indefinitely while
attracting negative publicity," Mandela said in a statement.
Nelson Mandela was elected the country's first black
president in South Africa's first all-race vote in 1994 and
served one term before stepping down in 1999.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 24, 2011, 17:43