Acting deputy judge-president of the Eastern Cape has ruled that arguments in the legal battle over the exhumation of the remains of three Mandela family members will be heard in open court.

This follows an urgent application by the SA Editors’ Forum after most of the arguments were heard in chambers. The Editors’ Forum had applied for arguments in the matter between Mandla Mandela and 16 other family members to be public and not in the judge’s chambers as was the case yesterday.

Judge Lusindiso Pakade says the matter is of public interest. Mandla Mandela is opposing an interim order granted by the Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha on Friday, compelling him to rebury the remains of Tembekile, Makgato and Makaziwe in Qunu. He exhumed the remains in 2011 to rebury them at Mvezo where he is chief.

Meanwhile, a meeting by chiefs close to the family is expected to be convened in Qunu. They want the matter resolved amicable without the intervention of the courts.
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