Mandela leaves £2.5m to family, staff and party in will

The South African anti-apartheid icon leaves his estate to family members, the ruling African National Congress, former staff and several local schools.

Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke said the division of the estate, excluding royalties, is not being contested by the Mandela family.

However, Mandela’s third wife, Graca Machel, may waive her claims to the estate, Mr Moseneke said at a news conference where he summarised parts of Mandela’s 40-page will.

Mandela trusts

Mr Moseneke said some of the estate would be split between three trusts set up by Mandela, including a family trust designed to provide for his more than 30 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The reading of Mandela’s will was expected to set off another round of squabbling among members of his large and factious family over the anti-apartheid hero’s financial legacy.

Madiba’s last will & testament was read today at the #NelsonMandela Foundation, http://t.co/7MLqr8P85b

— NelsonMandela (@NelsonMandela) February 3, 2014

Mandela, who died in December at the age of 95, left behind an estate that includes an upscale house in Johannesburg, a modest dwelling in his rural Eastern Cape home province and royalties from book sales, including his autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom”.

Brand Mandela

More visibly, his legacy includes a potent political and moral brand that some of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren have already used to market everything from clothing to reality TV.

Some of his grandchildren have started a line of caps and sweatshirts that feature his image under the brand “Long Walk to Freedom”.

Two of his US-based granddaughters starred in a reality television show called “Being Mandela”.

Such aggressive marketing – as well as reports of fighting among family members over Mandela’s money – have fuelled the impression in South Africa that some of the family members have exploited their famous relative.