South Africa president forced to deny Nelson Mandela is in a vegetative state

 
P25 Archbishop Desmond Tutu
BBC
Dan Newling5 July 2013

An undignified feud over Nelson Mandela’s legacy spread to South Africa’s government today as it was forced to deny family claims that he is in a “permanent vegetative state”.

Amid a bitter row between relatives, Archbishop Desmond Tutu pleaded with the family not to “besmirch” the anti-apartheid leader’s name .

Fifteen of Mr Mandela’s family stated in court papers that the 94-year-old is on life support and doctors had advised them to switch it off. The deposition was part of a bid to force his grandson Mandla to move the graves of three of Mr Mandela’s children.

Yesterday the remains were reburied in their original graves in the village of Qunu, where South Africa’s first black president was brought up. Mandla had moved them to his homestead in Mvezo, 20 miles away. The row has overshadowed concerns for Mr Mandela, who is critically ill in hospital in Pretoria with a lung infection.

The family’s deposition said he “is in a permanent vegetative state and is assisted in breathing by a life support machine ... [We] have been advised by the medical practitioners that his life support machine should be switched off. Rather than prolonging his suffering, the Mandela family is exploring this option as a very real probability.”

But President Jacob Zuma issued a statement saying: “Doctors, nurses ... and other health professionals attend to Madiba [Mr Mandela’s clan name] on a 24-hour basis. Madiba remains in a critical, but stable condition. The doctors deny the former president is in a vegetative state.”

Archbishop Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, called on the family to overcome their differences: “Please, please, please may we think not only of ourselves? It’s almost like spitting in Madiba’s face. Your anguish is the nation’s anguish, and the world’s. We want to embrace you, to support you, to shine our love for Madiba through you. Please, may we not besmirch his name?”

Speaking on a radio chat show, deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, said: “It’s all very sad, but we’ve got to continue keeping the family and Madiba in our prayers, hope Madiba will recover, and also that the family will manage its own affairs in a dignified manner.”

Yesterday the bodies of Mr Mandela’s children Thembekile, Makaziwe and Makgatho were reburied in Qunu after a court order against Mandla. Relatives and community elders attended a ceremony and sang hymns.

The family members claim Mandla moved the graves two years ago to ensure Mr Mandela would be buried in Mvezo and he can profit from tourists. He is a building a heritage centre dedicated to his grandfather. But Mandla accused relatives of making a grab to control his grandfather’s legacy.

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