News24 | Madiba’s Qunu chief turns her back on the ANC, switches to ATM

The chief of Qunu, Nelson Mandela’s home village, has dumped the ANC for the ATM.

Gallo Images / Thapelo Maphakela

• The chief of Qunu, Nkosikazi Nokwanele Bhalizulu, AbaThembu chief Nkosi Thanduxolo Mtirara and Nelson Mandela’s great nephew, Xolani Mandela, have all left the ANC for opposition parties.
• Despite Deputy President Paul Mashatile visiting Qunu in October 2025 to address complaints about water, roads and crime, residents say nothing improved.
• Provincial ANC spokesperson Yanga Zicina blamed inefficient officials and urged residents not to lose faith.

The chief of Qunu, Nelson Mandela’s home village, is so fed up with a lack of service delivery in her area that she has dumped the ANC for the ATM.

Nkosikazi Nokwanele Bhalizulu, 61, lives directly opposite the late former president’s home – only separated by the N2 highway.

Her late husband, Nkosi Zwelebango, was imprisoned with Madiba on Robben Island. They were all ANC members.

Bhalizulu said through agricultural projects the ANC could have honoured the memory of her late husband for the benefit of the people of Qunu and surroundings, but instead the party squandered money through corruption and fed residents a lot of empty promises.

Bhalizulu said for years she has been patient with the ANC, but now she and other traditional leaders and community members have had enough.

She has already launched a branch of the ATM at her home in Qunu, near Mthatha, and claims the party cares about people and their traditional leaders, unlike the ANC.

She said she and many others assumed they would benefit from having the world-famous Mandela at their doorstep.

“We all thought because we have an international statesman as a neighbour everything will change, that we will live a life of comfort. But the opposite is true. We are living in fear because crime is high, especially stock theft.

“The taps are dry with no water coming out. At least now it’s summer, there is rain, so those who have water tanks benefit from rainwater harvesting. The roads are a nightmare,” Bhalizulu said.

A year ago, on 2 October, Deputy President Paul Mashatile visited Qunu, responding to complaints about service delivery. Issues in sharp focus were the lack of water, terrible roads, and crime.

Exactly a year later, residents say nothing has changed.

The chief said:

After Mashatile left, the water left with him. We are back at fetching water from the river, drinking with cows and pigs like we used to. It is clear now that the visit by Mashatile last year had nothing to do with service delivery but was about preventing us as traditional leaders and community from joining ATM.

Another senior AbaThembu chief, Nkosi Thanduxolo Mtirara, told News24 that he had thought things would improve after Mashatile’s visit.

He said besides the water issue, which still persists, they had already been dealing with bad roads and rampant crime prior to Mashatile coming to Qunu.

Mtirara said criminals were now acting with impunity in their villages.

He too has been a victim after 14 of his goats were stolen last month.

As traditional leaders, he said, they were now looking at different alternatives for their vote come 4 November.

“In Thembuland we have received a mandate from our king (Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo) to vote for any other political party but not the ANC because they are the reason we find ourselves in this mess,” Mtirara said.

Xolani Mandela, a great-nephew of Madiba, said he too was a loyal member of the ANC, but corruption and lack of service delivery meant he must look elsewhere.

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He is now contesting Ward 19, under which Qunu falls, as a UDM candidate.

“There is no service delivery in Qunu. They only remember us when it’s Mandela Day on 18 July. The ANC has failed our people,” he said.

Yanga Zicina, provincial spokesperson of the ANC, said service delivery was non-negotiable. He blamed inefficiency on some officials working in offices.

“I don’t think the area of Qunu has been completely neglected. Yes, there are challenges, but, equally, there are signs that the government has delivered there.

“We want to plead with our people not to lose faith in the ANC. We understand we have many setbacks,” he said.

Keith Khoza, acting spokesperson of the deputy president said since the visit, Mashatile’s office has maintained regular engagement with Eastern Cape officials to monitor implementation of improvements.

“In particular, on 15 July 2026, the service delivery IMC (Inter-Ministerial Committee) received a progress report indicating that approximately 58% of commitments were partially completed, while approximately 10% had not yet commenced,” he said.

Khoza said suggestions that last year’s visit to Qunu was not about service delivery were untrue.

“In fact, it is common practice and accepted protocol that whenever the deputy president has a public engagement in areas under traditional leadership, he begins the programme by paying a courtesy call and meeting with the respective traditional leadership in that area, ” Khoza said.