Identity area
Reference code
ZA COM NMPP 2009/57-26-1
Title
Arranged marriage [A8-ftKxqoro]
Date(s)
- 1993-03-11 (Creation)
Level of description
page
Extent and medium
1 audio clip
In-point: 26:49
Out-point: 30:35
In-point: 26:49
Out-point: 30:35
Context area
Name of creator
Name of creator
(1955-)
Biographical history
Editor and author. Collaborated with Mandela on his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom (published 1994). Co-producer of the documentary Mandela, 1996. Editor of TIME magazine.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Rick Stengel
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Once Nelson Mandela had angered his guardian, the King, by getting himself expelled from the University College of Fort Hare, it was decided that the problem would be solved by an arranged marriage. He and Justice, his cousin and the king’s son, were presented with the plan: The King had found them both wives. It was this action on the King’s part that directly led to Mr Mandela’s exodus from the countryside and journey into the rapidly industrialising arms of the city of Johannesburg. It was there that he became interested in politics and set himself on the path to his destiny – overthrowing apartheid.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Access by permission of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright held by the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
STENGEL: So when you went back to tell the King about, what had happened at Fort Hare, was Justice with you then or not, Justice?
MANDELA: Justice was with me at Healdtown, and I left him there. You see, he was older than me, he was ahead of me at school, but I caught up with him and then I passed him. So when I was at Fort Hare doing my second year he was still doing a junior certificate, you know.
STENGEL: Ah
MANDELA: At Healdtown.
STENGEL: So, when you went back to tell the King about your resignation from Fort Hare, was that the time that he told you that he wanted to arrange marriages for you and Justice?
MANDELA: Yes, not on the same day, but during the same period. I came back for the December holidays and I reported to him, and of course he was very cross with me. And he said, ‘you go back to school next year’. And we were going to close for the whole month. I came back in November and we were going to close the whole month of December and for the greater part of January. He said, ‘you go back’. But then later during that period, he said, ‘my children, I am going to die and before I die I want you to get married. You Justice are going to marry the daughter of Kalipa [check spelling] and you; you are going to marry the daughter of the Priest’. That's how we did it.
STENGEL: Just like that?
MANDELA: Just like that.
STENGEL: Together
MANDELA: Yes. So I then said, ‘no, I am still at school’. He says , ‘no, no, no. You can go to school, finish your school but I'll look after your wife. And, but I want to arrange things for you before I die’. And I tried very hard. And then I went to the Queen. I said, ‘no, I want to marry’... there was a girl who was a relative of the Queen... I said, ‘no I want to marry that family as soon as I finish studies’. And the Queen supported me — yes, supported me, and it was a very attractive girl. But the King said, ‘no, no, no, no, no’ you are going to get married to this girl. And then he paid lobola. That's how we ran.
STENGEL: He had paid lobola...
MANDELA: Yes. Yes.
STENGEL: So the girl you told the Queen you wanted to marry, had you known her, or had...
MANDELA: Oh, I had known her, I had known her, but I had not taken her out, but it was a way of getting the thing... because this girl the King said I should marry, was in love with Justice, you see. And it was not a serious love, also. But Justice you see... she was in love with Justice.
STENGEL: And what about...
MANDELA: And the old man didn't know, of course the people, the elderly people didn't know that. In our custom it's not like that. The parents never know, are not supposed ever to know that their child, you see, is having a love affair with another child. So the old man was quite innocent — he didn't know.
STENGEL: And she did have a love affair with Justice.
MANDELA: This girl?
STENGEL: The girl he wanted you to marry?
MANDELA: Yes. She had a love affair with Justice. Mmm. So we decided that we would just run away, and we ran away.
MANDELA: Justice was with me at Healdtown, and I left him there. You see, he was older than me, he was ahead of me at school, but I caught up with him and then I passed him. So when I was at Fort Hare doing my second year he was still doing a junior certificate, you know.
STENGEL: Ah
MANDELA: At Healdtown.
STENGEL: So, when you went back to tell the King about your resignation from Fort Hare, was that the time that he told you that he wanted to arrange marriages for you and Justice?
MANDELA: Yes, not on the same day, but during the same period. I came back for the December holidays and I reported to him, and of course he was very cross with me. And he said, ‘you go back to school next year’. And we were going to close for the whole month. I came back in November and we were going to close the whole month of December and for the greater part of January. He said, ‘you go back’. But then later during that period, he said, ‘my children, I am going to die and before I die I want you to get married. You Justice are going to marry the daughter of Kalipa [check spelling] and you; you are going to marry the daughter of the Priest’. That's how we did it.
STENGEL: Just like that?
MANDELA: Just like that.
STENGEL: Together
MANDELA: Yes. So I then said, ‘no, I am still at school’. He says , ‘no, no, no. You can go to school, finish your school but I'll look after your wife. And, but I want to arrange things for you before I die’. And I tried very hard. And then I went to the Queen. I said, ‘no, I want to marry’... there was a girl who was a relative of the Queen... I said, ‘no I want to marry that family as soon as I finish studies’. And the Queen supported me — yes, supported me, and it was a very attractive girl. But the King said, ‘no, no, no, no, no’ you are going to get married to this girl. And then he paid lobola. That's how we ran.
STENGEL: He had paid lobola...
MANDELA: Yes. Yes.
STENGEL: So the girl you told the Queen you wanted to marry, had you known her, or had...
MANDELA: Oh, I had known her, I had known her, but I had not taken her out, but it was a way of getting the thing... because this girl the King said I should marry, was in love with Justice, you see. And it was not a serious love, also. But Justice you see... she was in love with Justice.
STENGEL: And what about...
MANDELA: And the old man didn't know, of course the people, the elderly people didn't know that. In our custom it's not like that. The parents never know, are not supposed ever to know that their child, you see, is having a love affair with another child. So the old man was quite innocent — he didn't know.
STENGEL: And she did have a love affair with Justice.
MANDELA: This girl?
STENGEL: The girl he wanted you to marry?
MANDELA: Yes. She had a love affair with Justice. Mmm. So we decided that we would just run away, and we ran away.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Dalindyebo, Justice (Subject)