Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughters Got Their Own Reality Show: Being Mandela
February 8, 2013 by Hollywoodite
Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear.
Learning nothing from the previous embarrassments that were Mrs Eastwood & Company, scripted and anti-climactic, and The Houstons: On Our Own, that achieved little but to expose a grieving teenager’s drinking, and other shows of that ilk all of which can be blamed on fame-hungry relatives of industry stalwarts, the Mandelas got their own show.
The show is called Being Mandela, and stars two of Nelson Mandela’s granddaughters, Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini. The man himself reportedly does not feature on the show, although Winnie Madikizela-Mandela does.
The show premieres this Sunday, on COZI TV.
Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini were promoting their own reality TV series, Being Mandela, which begins in the US on Sunday. In an interview with Associated Press (AP) they suggested that Mandela, world renowned as a liberation hero, statesman and Nobel peace laureate, “sort of likes” reality TV and will “definitely” watch their show.
“You’ll be interested to know that he loves Toddlers and Tiaras,” a laughing Swati said. Zaziwe added hastily, “Because of the kids! He just loves children.”
Ndileka Mandela, his eldest grandchild, denied any knowledge of Mandela watching reality TV. “I know he watches National Geographic and news channels but I don’t know if he watches Toddlers and Tiaras,” she said. “I’ve never seen him watch the programme.”
The claim will do no harm to publicity efforts for Being Mandela on Cozi TV. South Africa’s first black president, who was recently treated for a lung infection and had surgery to remove gallstones, does not feature in the series but the women’s grandmother, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, is said to relish making cameo appearances.
The granddaughters sought to allay fears that South Africa’s most revered family is entering “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” territory. “We get asked this question a lot,” Dlamini said in the AP interview. “Is this not going to tarnish the name and is this not going to be bad for the name? But our grandparents have always said to us, this is our name too, and we can do what we think is best fitting with the name, as long as we treat it with respect and integrity.”
The 13-episode first season follows the two women as they try to carry on the family legacy while juggling motherhood in Johannesburg. – via The Guardian.