The property previously owned by former president Nelson Mandela in Houghton, Johannesburg, where his grandson Mbuso was arrested with four hijacking suspects on Wednesday, is not rented out.
Mbuso’s elder brother Ndaba told TimesLIVE the property had been neglected by his younger brother who had been living there for years.
Mbuso is expected to appear in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Friday with four other suspects arrested with him.
According to Johannesburg metro police (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla, the arrests followed information from a vehicle tracking company regarding the location of a white Toyota Corolla hijacked on Wednesday on Louis Botha Avenue in Oaklands.
Fihla said at the time JMPD officers recovered the hijacked vehicle and apprehended four men and one woman and a subsequent search of the premises resulted in the recovery of one unlicensed firearm.
Preliminary information suggested the “female occupant is renting the property and is acquainted with the four male suspects”.
“All five suspects have been arrested and will be detained at Norwood SAPS. They will face charges of possession of a hijacked vehicle and possession of an unlicensed firearm,” said Fihla.
Ndaba said the firearm found only shoots blanks.
“[The] property [is] not rented out by anyone, but has been neglected by Mbuso who has been living there for years.
“There was a drug problem by Mbuso and his accomplices but they all got arrested. I have kicked everyone out of the property so there is only Andile and security left,” he said.
Late last year, the Sunday Times reported a row has broken out over Mandela’s family home in Houghton with at least three of his grandchildren preparing court papers to fight a possible sale of the property, which had fallen into disrepair. At the time a furious Ndaba told the publication his aunt Makaziwe, Mandela’s oldest daughter, was “trying to take the house away” from him and his brothers Mbuso and Andile.
He reiterated what he previously told the Sunday Times.
“Aunt Maki [Makaziwe] is to blame for most of the issues since she [allegedly] stole furniture in 2019. The trustees refused to carry out their fiduciary duties of maintaining lights and so on because they said they don’t have to follow Madiba’s wishes of taking care of all municipal duties,” he said.
“However, we tried to do renovations last year and Collin Mashawana was stopped by aunt Maki. Had renovations been completed, I would have been back at the house and none of this would have happened,” said Ndaba.
TimesLIVE tried to contact Makaziwe but she did not answer her phone. Her response will be added when it is available.
TimesLIVE
