Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Nelson Mandela’s grandson has objected to the “Mandelalisation” of the world statesman’s name.
Mandla Mandela, who safeguards the legacy of South Africa’s revered first democratically elected president, said too many people, companies and organisations were “hijacking” the Nobel Laureate’s name.
He was reacting to moves to rename Mthatha Airport after Mandela. The city of Mthatha is located near Qunu, where Mandela was raised and buried.
“People are so fixated on his name that they want to Mandelalise everything. So every entity must now be named after him,” he told the City Press newspaper.
Mandla said his grandfather addressed the issue with him before his death in 2013, saying he regarded himself as “a mere voice and face of the struggle for liberation”, but that there were many ordinary South Africans who sacrificed more than he did, because they died for the struggle.
South Africa’s banknotes all carry images of Mandela and numerous roads and buildings are named after the struggle icon. In addition, the city of Port Elizabeth which was home to many struggle stalwarts, including Govan Mbeki and Steve Biko, was recently renamed Nelson Mandela Bay.
