Mandla Mandela praises sister Ndileka for breaking silence on rape ordeal

Chief Mandla Mandela has come out to support his sister Ndileka Mandela and speak out against sexual abuse after it was revealed she was a victim of rape.

Ndileka took took to social media to share her story, in which she describes how her ex-boyfriend raped her. She did not report the case but believed she should follow in her grandfather Nelson Mandela’s footsteps and break her silence on the incident.

Mandla, who is Mandela’s oldest grandson, issued a statement in which he called on South Africans to follow his sister and also speak out about their experiences to end the silence on sexual abuse, an issue that he believes is “gnawing at the heart of our nation”.

““I salute you Madlomo‚ for giving power back to that little girl in the village who has been hiding in shame and silence; I salute you Nkosazana for giving a voice to the grannies in the location to also break the shackle of gripping fear and humiliation; I salute you my sister for the courage you are giving to the many men who fall victim to rape in our jails; I salute you for saying #metoo – our voices will be silenced no more!” said Mandla.

Rape mainly takes place at home or in a familiar environment because the perpetrator is often a person who the victims knows. We must break the silence and not be passive bystanders, Mandla added.

//