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NELSON MANDELA’S FAMILY has expressed “indignation and dismay” at allegations that officials stole and misspent $22 million (€18,593,510) intended for the anti-apartheid icon’s memorial events after his death in 2013.
The country’s anti-corruption watchdog last week said it had uncovered evidence that millions of dollars disappeared during preparations for Mandela’s memorial and funeral.
Officials are alleged to have inflated costs, awarded tenders fraudulently and generally mismanaged the huge state occasion which drew leaders from around the world.
Mandela’s eldest grandson Mandla has said that the whole family had reacted with “utter indignation and dismay” to the allegations.
“We find it incredulous that while we, as a family, a nation – and indeed the world – were mourning the loss of our elder, icon, leader and statesman, some people were allegedly conniving to profit financially by shamelessly syphoning off funds,” he said in a statement.
The guilty parties should face the full wrath of the law.
Mandela died on 5 December 2013 aged 95 and was buried at his home village in Qunu in the country’s southeast on 15 December at a funeral attended by presidents, royalty and several celebrities.
The Public Protector watchdog said around $22 million of state funds intended for the memorial and funeral were misspent.
“It is unfathomable that a legacy built on principled action, integrity and a high degree of ethical standards should be so sullied and allegedly be associated with such criminal intent,” said the family.
Opposition parties were among the first to raise the alarm, demanding a probe into how taxpayers’ money earmarked for the memorial and funeral services was used just a month after the events had concluded.
Mandela’s long-serving personal assistant Zelda la Grange described the funeral planning process as “chaos” in a revealing memoir published six months after his death.
“I had never experienced such chaos,” she wrote of the events to commemorate Mandela’s life, saying that plans were changed every few minutes.
“One could not help but wonder whether it was just eight years of bad planning, wasting money on foreign travel to consult with other countries about events of this magnitude,” she said.
“Or whether it was a deliberate attempt to exclude from Mandela’s funeral people who were not allied with the right people.”
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Schools are more and more being asked to do things which are actually the parent’s job.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: a lot of what you learn in secondary school is not actually pertinent to real life. This is, so what is the harm in it being thought at home and in school?
@A$AP Ragnick: Looks like we’ll have a lot of hygienic, nice and socially conscious people who are academically inept.
@Elrond Rivendell: your right, because it’s impossible to introduce one new module, and the only way to do so would be to eliminate every other subject from the school curriculum so it can be thought 8 hours a day. Silly me.
@A$AP Ragnick: Crikey! Well if your writing is anything to go by, wellbeing and hygiene we’re definitely taught over grammar in your place. To address your substantive point, the original point was that schools are teaching a lot of things that should be taught at home. Your response was along the lines of yeah grand because a lot of things on the curriculum are useless. Wellbeing already gets 100 hours more than English, Irish or Maths and 200 hours more than Science, History, Business, Geography, Languages or any practical subjects at Junior Cycle. I think the evidence that we are developing a lot of people who are well versed in hygiene, mental health, social consciousness and such over academically able students is evidenced by the emphasis in the Junior Cycle programme.
@Elrond Rivendell: **were** being taught. Damn auto-correct. Laughing at the irony myself here!
Well done Helen McEntee, this initiative long overdue
Thank you Helen McEntee.
I’m heartened to hear this.
Domestic abuse inflicted by woman on men is a hidden tragedy in this country.
Helen McEntee would make a fantastic Taoiseach.
@Darren: you’d make a much better comedian
@Graham Manning: and you what would you make ?
@Margaret Mcgarry: Listen listen, Graham is one of these “all politicians are dopes and on the take” people. The barstool expert who spouts opinions online that in the days before the internet were only heard at the bar or on the street corner but because he publishes it online, it now becomes fact. Don’t let him bother you.
@Margaret Mcgarry: An English teacher. Want a grind???
@Elrond Rivendell: says the person convinced introducing this will make students academically inept???
Excellent news!
I like this Helen McEntee.
About time, I feel so ashamed and guilty about being a man, especially a straight, white man.
We need to make sure none of our boys grow up with self respect and confidence.
Critical race theory is hopefully next.
Our schools need third wave feminism urgently before even more of our children get brainwashed by the patriarchy to believe that men and fathers deserve the same rights and respect as women and mothers.
@Dan Broderick: It was inevitable that someone would have a spectacularly bad take on this. Congrats on hitting every buzz word on the “woke madness” bingo card while somehow suggesting that teaching people about consent negatively impacts their confidence. Thankfully, it’s a dying breed that yearns for the good old days when men were men, wha?
@OnlyHereForTheComments: Misogyny was mentiined twice in the closing paragraph. This shows the true meaning behind the story, this isn’t about equality, this is more ignorant man hating nonsense.
Real men are a dying breed and the anti male agenda isn’t even hidden anymore…..nothing more pathetic, dangerous and repulsive to women as a male feminist
@Dan Broderick: “real men are a dying breed” Lol. Upset that the story mentioned misogyny? The fragility is strong with you.
Speaking at the launch, the Taoiseach said that misogyny has “no place” in Irish society.
I agree but what about Misandry or is that still acceptable in society?? It does exist also, in fact one could argue that the taoiseachs statement could be construed as such? He should have said theres no place for misanthropy – at least thats non-biased.
Teaching both sexes to respect each other covers most scenarios. Parents who allow their young 10-12 year old kids and teenagers to roam around committing anti social behaviour need to cop on . When they get away with it that young it emboldens them do worse as they get older. Why should the teachers be landed with the parents responsibility’s.
have your say