THE DEATH of Nelson Mandela’s great-granddaughter in a car accident following a pre-World Cup concert in Johannesburg on Thursday cast an inescapable shadow over the opening day of the Fifa tournament in South Africa yesterday.
Zenani Mandela (13), one of Mr Mandela’s nine great-grandchildren, died shortly after midnight when the car she was travelling in overturned as it was taking a slip road off the M1 highway in Johannesburg city centre.
The male driver of the car, who was unhurt, has been arrested and was due to appear in Johannesburg Magistrate Court yesterday, where it was expected he would be charged with drink-driving and possibly culpable homicide.
However, his case was struck off the court roll pending further investigation into the incident, according to the police.
Earlier in the day, police spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane told reporters: “He [the driver] lost control of the vehicle and it collided with a barricade . . . The Metro police found that he was drunk.” Despite his age, Mr Mandela (91) had been scheduled to appear at the tournament’s opening ceremony in Soccer City in Soweto yesterday to watch South Africa take on Mexico in the opening game.
However, South Africa’s former president changed his mind, believing it inappropriate to attend the game given the circumstances, according to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
“We are sure that South Africans and people all over the world will stand in solidarity with Mr Mandela and his family in the aftermath of this tragedy,” read a foundation statement. “We continue to believe that the World Cup is a momentous and historic occasion for South Africa and the continent and we are certain it will be a huge success. Madiba [Mandela’s clan name] will be there with you in spirit today.”
Fifa president Sepp Blatter wrote to the Mandela family saying world football’s governing body completely understood his decision not to attend the opening ceremony given the tragic circumstances.
“I woke this morning to hear the unspeakably tragic news,” Mr Blatter said in the letter to the Mandelas. “I am stunned as I sit here, I cannot understand it and I simply cannot find words to express my sadness,” he added.
Initially, it had been reported by police that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Mr Mandela’s former wife, had also been in the car when the accident occurred, but this turned out to be untrue.
However, Ms Madikizela-Mandela was taken to hospital shortly after hearing of her great granddaughter’s death, where she was treated for shock.
The pre-World Cup concert at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Thursday had drawn tens of thousands of revellers keen to catch a glimpse of international musicians such as the Black Eyed Peas and Shakira.
Consequently, traffic in the area was very busy at the time of the accident.
South Africans are well-accustomed to road traffic deaths, with about 10,000 people dying every year on the country’s roads.
Even before the death, it was unclear whether Mr Mandela was well enough to attend the opening ceremonies. He played a central role in bringing the world’s most-watched sporting event to South Africa, arguing before the World Cup bidding committee in 2004 that it would be a fitting tribute for the nation to be awarded the event a decade after the end of apartheid.