JOHANNESBURG: The will of former South African president Nelson Mandela is due to be read on Monday, potentially kicking off another round of squabbling among members of his large and factious family over the anti-apartheid hero's financial legacy.
Mandela, who died in December at the age of 95, has left behind an estate that includes an upscale house in Johannesburg, a modest dwelling in his rural Eastern Cape home province and royalties from book sales, including his autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom".
More visibly, his legacy also includes a potent political and moral brand that some of his more than 30 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have already used to market everything from clothing to reality TV.
The reading of the will is due to start later on Monday in Johannesburg at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which he set up to protect his broader message. The reading was originally scheduled for 5:30 a.m. ET but was delayed.
Some of his grandchildren have started a line of caps and sweatshirts that feature his image under the brand "Long Walk to Freedom". Two of his U.S.-based granddaughters starred in a reality television show called "Being Mandela".
Such aggressive marketing – as well as reports of fighting among family members over Mandela's money – have fuelled the impression in South Africa that some of the family members have exploited their famous relative. – Reuters
