Winnie didn't forge affidavit - Mandela family member

2015-01-19 17:12
Cape Town – The “core member” of the Mandela family, who is at the centre of a forgery claim involving Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, has rejected the claim, according to reports.

The Sunday Times reported over the weekend that Madikizela-Mandela faces possible fraud charges after allegedly forging an affidavit that formed part of court papers in her fight to stop a Mandela family meeting from taking place in Qunu in the Eastern Cape.

On Monday Ngcebetshana broke his silence and said the allegations were false. He confirmed to Eyewitness News that he signed the affidavit that was submitted to court.

The affidavit states that because of the meeting tempers are high among the family members and "I do hold a fear that if the meeting is allowed to take place, violence is likely to broke out (sic) and people might fight".
Ngcebetshana told the SABC that the reports are baseless and that no one signed the affidavit on his behalf.
According to the Sunday Times report the affidavit, signed the day before the matter was heard in the Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha, was falsified as Ngcebetshana allegedly told Mandla Mandela he never signed it nor did he provide any of the content.

Mandela’s lawyer, Billy Gundelfinger, said at the time that an investigation into the matter will be carried out.He said: "If the allegations are true it would have serious consequences."