Mandela's grandson reveals second Aids death

Nelson Mandela’s grandson followed the former president’s example today by telling thousands of mourners at his father’s funeral that his mother had also died of Aids a year earlier.

Nelson Mandela’s grandson followed the former president’s example today by telling thousands of mourners at his father’s funeral that his mother had also died of Aids a year earlier.

Mandla Mandela was speaking at the funeral of his father Makgatho, 54, Nelson Mandela’s last surviving son.

Hours after Makgatho died in a Johannesburg hospital last week, Nelson Mandela announced that his son was HIV positive and had died of Aids-related complications.

Mr Mandela said his announcement was a plea for everyone to be more open about the disease, which kills about 600 South Africans a day.

Mandla Mandela told mourners his mother Zondi died of the same disease. Previously the family had said she died of pneumonia.

“In spite of this, we are not used to death,” he said.

Among the 4,000 people who attended the funeral at the former president’s Eastern Cape home, Qunu, were his former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, President Thabo Mbeki, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, business leaders, Zulu royalty and local villagers.

Tutu said a prayer at the funeral during which a gaunt Mr Mandela was supported by his wife Graca Machel. Dressed in a black shirt and pants, Mr Mandela sat quietly, gazing at the brown coffin covered in white and yellow flowers.

More than five million of South Africa’s 45 million people are infected with HIV, more than in any other country. But until this year, the government refused to provide life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs through the public health system, citing concerns about their safety and cost.

It has now promised to provide free treatment to all who need it within five years.

Mr Mandela has been an outspoken Aids campaigner, criticising the government for its slow reaction to combat the disease.

Makgatho Mandela, an attorney was one of four children from Nelson Mandela’s first marriage to Evelyn Mase, who died last year aged 82. Of the other three children, a daughter died in 1948 before she was a year old, and another son was killed in a car crash in 1969.

Mr Mandela has had two other wives since divorcing Evelyn in 1955, Madikizela-Mandela and Machel. He has two daughters from his second marriage.

Makgatho Mandela is survived by four sons – one of them from a previous marriage.

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