Nelson Mandela’s Grandson Slams Meghan Markle For Suggesting South Africans Celebrated Her Wedding The Same Way They Rejoiced His Freedom: ‘Overcoming 60 years of Apartheid is not the same as marrying a white prince’

Nelson Mandela’s Grandson Slams Meghan Markle For Suggesting South Africans Celebrated Her Wedding The Same Way They Rejoiced His Freedom: ‘Overcoming 60 years of Apartheid is not the same as marrying a white prince’

Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zwelivelile ‘Mandla’ Mandela isn’t too fond of Meghan Markle suggesting that her marriage to Prince Harry sparked scenes of joy in South Africa reminiscent of the 1990 release of the legendary anti-apartheid leader after 27 years in jail.

During a recent interview, Meghan Markle revealed that in 2019, a South African actor from the live-action Lion King film made the comparison between her royal wedding and Nelson Mandela’s historic walk to freedom. According to the Duchess of Sussex, the actor pulled her aside and told her:

“I just need you to know: When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle –”The Lion King” European Premiere – Arrivals

Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zwelivelile ‘Mandla’ Mandela told sources he was ‘surprised’ at Markle’s remarks. He said,

“Madiba’s celebration was based on overcoming 350 years of colonialism with 60 years of a brutal apartheid regime in South Africa. So It cannot be equated to as the same.”

He continued,

“Every day there are people who want to be Nelson Mandela, either comparing themselves with him or wanting to emulate him…But before people can regard themselves as Nelson Mandela, they should be looking into the work that he did and be able to be champions and advocates of the work that he himself championed.”

Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country’s first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. Long before his presidency, Mandela was imprisoned from 1962-1990 for treason and conspiracy against the government. He was sentenced to life in prison, but was released early when the African National Congress (ANC) became legal again.

While he was in prison, Mandela was a symbol to rally behind for the oppressed in South Africa who were fighting for rights. He is considered the father of Modern South Africa and was instrumental in tearing down the oppressive government and installing democracy.

Zwelivelile Mandela–an MP and Chief of the late South African President’s Mvezo tribe– said when the people of South Africa expressed their joy at his grandfather’s release and danced in the streets, it was for a far more important and serious reason than her marriage ‘to a white prince’. He expressed,

“We are still bearing scars of the past. But they (Mr Mandela’s celebrations) were a product of the majority of our people being brought out onto the streets to exercise the right of voting for the first time.

He continued,

“He [Nelson Mandela] spoke for oppressed minorities, children and women and protracting the most vulnerable people in our society. He always spoke about oppressed nations around the globe and yet people are silent on those issues. But this is what we like to see (from) people when they regard themselves as being a “Nelson Mandela”.”

He added,

“My advice to everyone is to live the life Nelson Mandela lived and support the causes he supported.”

Meghan Markle

In regards to Meghan Markle’s comments, Zwelivelile Mandela said,

“Nelson Mandela’s release from jail was the culmination of nearly 350 years of struggle in which generations of our people paid with their lives. It can never be compared to the celebration of someone’s wedding.”

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[VIA]