Nelson Mandela’s grandson has criticized Meghan Markle for her comments comparing their royal wedding to his grandfather’s release from prison.
During an interview with The Cut in which she discussed her life with Prince Harry and their children in Montecito, Ms. Markle said she had been told by a South African member of the Lion King stage cast that his country’s people had celebrated her wedding the same they did when Mandela got out of jail.
“He said: ‘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,'” she recalled.
However, Zwelivelile ‘Mandla’ Mandela has slammed the “surprising” comments, saying: “It cannot be equated to as the same.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail on Tuesday, one of the world’s most famous activist’s grandchildren explained: “Madiba’s celebration was based on overcoming 350 years of colonialism with 60 years of a brutal apartheid regime in South Africa.”
“Madiba” is a nickname used to refer to Mandela, the anti-apartheid hero who led South Africa to freedom and later became the nation’s first black president. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize and is considered one of the 20th century’s most revered figures.
The African National Congress MP and chief of Nelson’s Mvezo tribe, 48, said he was surprised by Ms. Markle’s comments. He stated that the South Africans who danced in the streets for his grandfather’s release after 26 years in prison were more important and more serious than her marriage to a “white prince.”
“We are still bearing scars of the past. But [Nelson 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 said.
However, Mandela’s relative was not the only person who criticized Ms. Markle for the anecdote. Twitter South Africa was flooded with tweets with the hashtag “#VoetsekMeghan.” The Afrikaans word means “go away” or “get lost” in English.
British presenter Piers Morgan also slammed her comments, saying: “The Mandela anecdote alone had me gagging.”
