Qunu residents are bitter that they’ve been left out of events during the 10 days set aside to mourn former president Nelson Mandela.
Qunu residents are bitter that they’ve been left out of events during the 10 days set aside to mourn former president Nelson Mandela.
It was for the benefit of “Joburg people” that his body lay in state in the Union Buildings, they felt. Again, only “Joburg people” were being given an opportunity to say goodbye to Madiba in Qunu they said, and it made them feel like outcasts.
“We wanted to see him too as the people of Qunu,” resident Mandisa Bida told Grocott’s Mail this morning. “Joburg people stayed with him even though he was there all this time and now they are able to see him for three days,” said Bida.
She said the sad part was that they wouldn’t be allowed to attend Madiba’s funeral.
“We must now watch it on the screens. We feel like outsiders now,” Bida said.
A common complaint in the past few days has been the inflated cost of accommodation in the surrounding areas, particularly Mthatha.
Bida said she thought this was locals showing their frustration at being excluded from the funeral.
“It is not about greed. It is their way of showing frustration,” Bida said.
Fellow Qunu resident Tyebiso Matrose said he had really wanted to attend the funeral of his neighbour.
“We wanted to say goodbye to him. This man – we were able to go to his house and visit him, but now we cannot go to his funeral,” said Matrose.
He said he was comforted by the fact that there were public viewing areas, however.
“We will go and watch the funeral there. At least there was a provision made for us,” he said.
Chairperson of the state funeral committee, minister in the Presidency for Performance and Evaluation Collins Chabane, said during a press conference this afternoon that they appreciated the issues raised by the community, but their hands were tied.
“We ask for patience from the public in these special circumstances,” Chabane said. “We also appeal to them to use the public mourning sites. Their sentiments are appreciated. This was not the decision of President Zuma or the ANC, but that of government and the funeral committee in consultation with the family,” Chabane said.
