No further copies of Mandela book to be issued

On Monday afternoon Penguin Random House SA announced that the book Mandela’s Last Years will be withdrawn.

The publisher said that, out of respect, for the Mandela family, no further copies of the biography would be issued, EWN reports.

Nelson Mandela’s widow Graca Machel said she had not given permission for the book to be written, and other members of the family, including grandson Mandla Mandela, said they felt the book violated doctor-patient confidentiality.

This despite the fact that Mandela’s former doctor – the man who cared for him in the last seven years of his life – claims he had permission “from the family” to write a book on the struggle icon’s last days.

Former SANDF Surgeon General Dr Vejay Ramlakan would, however, not reveal which family members had granted him this permission.

He said: “I would not like to disclose the dynamic of the family and who requested us.

“I think it is irrelevant. We have said that we received permission from the family.”

When asked whether Machel had been consulted in the writing of the book, Ramlakan refused to be drawn.

He said: “Let me say all parties who needed to be consulted were consulted, all from a point of view of publishing, [we got] advice from publishers and lawyers as well.”

The department of defence (DOD) had also distanced itself from the book.

Machel reportedly wanted to sue Ramlakan because of “explosive claims” in the book.

Ramlakan revealed that it was Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and not Machel who spent several hours with Mandela before his death. Ramlakan told eNCA Madiba’s last days were amazing and impressive.

“The story of his last years is actually, in a sense, more impressive than when he was fit.”