Mandela family slaughters bull
2010-07-18 12:18
Mvezo - The Mvezo royal house slaughtered a bull for President Jacob Zuma ahead of former president Nelson Mandela's 92nd birthday celebrations on Sunday.
Chief Mandla Mandela, the grandson of the former president, presented the bull to Zuma.
The royal palace is situated at Mandela's birth place, about 70km from Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape.
Mandela is also a senior member of the Mvezo royal family.
Zuma was accompanied by his wife Thobeka Madiba, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa and Arts and Culture Minister Lulu Xingwana when he received the bull.
Community work
Zuma was then planning to do community work in line with the call for people to do 67 minutes of community work in honour of Mandela's birthday.
The function was expected to start at noon.
More than 5 000 people, including over 1 000 dignitaries, were expected to attend the function.
Two big marquees, each with the capacity to accommodate 5 000 people, were erected.
One of them had been erected at the Mvezo Multi Purpose Centre, just a stone's throw from the homestead where Mandela was born.
Another tent erected about a kilometre away would be used to serve food to the VIPs including Zuma and cabinet ministers.
Mandela would not attend the festivities in his village because he would be spending the day at home with family in Johannesburg.
- SAPA
