Mbuso Mandela, the grandson of the late South African struggle icon and President, Nelson Mandela, has been arrested after he and four other people believed to be his friends reportedly hijacked a car at gunpoint in Johannesburg.
The hijacking victim, whose car was found at former president Nelson Mandela’s house, was attacked in Johannesburg and driven around before his assailants, who included a woman, dropped him off in Benoni.
The car, a Toyota Corolla, was traced to the former president’s Houghton house where an unlicensed firearm was allegedly also found and confiscated.
Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the five suspects will be charged with carjacking and possession of unlicensed firearms.
Fihla said the victim did not get hurt during the hijacking and he opened a case with the SA Police Service in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni.
A caretaker at the property, Johannes Cassanga, said the grandson had brought disgrace to Mandela’s house.
“I am disgusted by the manner in which the grandson has turned the house of the honourable man into a criminal ground. He is disrespecting his ancestors to commit a crime in house of the father of our freedom.
“He has stripped this house of its dignity. Despite the house being quite during the day, the grandson always has his friends over for drinks or he will go out and come back late,” said Cassanga, who has been working at the house for four years.
After hearing of her cousin’s arrest, one of Mandela’s granddaughters, Ndileka Mandela posted on her Facebook timeline: “There’s a saying: You can’t choose your family. It’s really unfortunate xa uzelwe nezikitso (lunatics).”
