In papers filed in the Mthatha High Court this week, Mandela says: "I am not in possession of any written agreement with the SABC, BBC or any other broadcasting company or corporation for the broadcast rights to Mr Nelson Mandela's funeral, as such agreement does not exist and I do not possess any such rights."
This is the second time Mandela has denied selling the broadcasting rights to Madiba's funeral. Rumours first surfaced in 2009. The SABC, at the time, also denied any knowledge of the deal.
This week, the former Mvezo chief was responding to an order compelling him to declare all his financial interests to the Mthatha court.
Mandela and his estranged first wife, Tando Mabunu-Mandela, were married under civil law in community of property in 2004 and, accordingly, share a joint estate. Mabunu-Mandela filed for divorce five years later.
Her attorney had hoped the order would enable the court to divide the assets equally between the two so the divorce could be finalised.
The order was granted in February and Mandela was given 15 days to respond.
However, he has refused to make his financial interests public.
Independent legal experts said he probably did not want to reveal his assets to the court because they would then become public information, allowing the media to report how much he earned.
Instead, Mandela wanted his wife and her legal team to peruse the documents under the watchful eye of his attorney.
The court has ordered Mandela to furnish it with documents proving his income, tax returns, professional memberships, business interests, interests in the parliamentary register and bank statements.
The court also ordered him to produce any written agreement with broadcasters selling the rights to Madiba's funeral, if these indeed existed. He has vehemently denied having any such agreements.
Mandela, who is an ANC MP, also said he was not in possession of most of the other documentation the court had requested.
Source: The Times via I-Net Bridge
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