Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla, has dismissed a report alleging he was paid R3-million by the SABC for exclusive television rights to cover the funeral of the former president, according to The Star (page 1 1 June 2009)
The allegation first appeared in the Sunday World which claimed that the SABC had budgeted R700-million – nearly equal to its R784-million budget deficit – for what has had been dubbed "the M Project".
Mandla, now an ANC MP, told The Star on Sunday that he was shocked by the allegations.
"I don’t know what you are talking about. I have no deals with the SABC. It’s shocking news. We will discuss it with the family," he said.
Mandla, a member of the National Assembly’s portfolio committee on rural development and land reform, said he hoped to respond more fully to the allegations during the course of the week.
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago meanwhile said he was unaware of any contract signed relating to Madiba’s funeral.
"I can’t say, from where I am sitting, that it’s (the multimillion-rand contract) there or not. Anything is possible," said Kganyago.
He said the fact that the SABC’s ex-head of news and current affairs, Snuki Zikalala, had confirmed to the Sunday World the existence of the "M Project" showed that it probably existed.
