A dignified and solemn funeral ceremony of one of the grandchildren of the late former President Nelson Mandela, Zoleka who passed on after battling cancer turned out to be full of drama as family feud marred the supposed private event.

Zoleka was not buried alongside her grandmother Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at the Fourways Memorial Park as initially reported as the deceased had in place a court order to stop her from being buried at the Mandela plot.

As a result, police were called to ensure that she was not buried next to her family. Zoleka’s mother Zindziswa Mandela and her two children are also buried on the plot. Her 13-year-old daughter who died in a car accident in 2010, and she later lost a son who was born prematurely.

It was alleged that Zoleka’s ex-husband Thierry Bashala, had purchased another grave for her at the memorial park where she was eventually laid to rest and the earlier dug grave being covered up.

Also, Zoleka had put online, a long list of close family members that should not be at her burial, ironically, the list included her ex-husband’s name, Leeroy Andie Cana, the father of her last child, some members of the Mandela and Madikizela family, Zenani Mandela Snr, Mandla Mandela, Zukiswa Madikizela, Nsundu Madikizela, and Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo.

Zoleka died of breast cancer aged 43.