Mandela Family Releases Statement on Nelson Mandela Lookalike, Themba
The Mandela family has issued a statement regarding Themba Michael Qhina, a man who bears a striking resemblance to former President Nelson Mandela.
Themba’s images have been circulating widely, leading many South Africans to believe that he may be a long-lost relative of the Mandela family.
The attention garnered by Themba’s resemblance to Nelson Mandela has reached various members of the Mandela family. However, Zoleka Mandela, who has been bombarded with tags and messages, expressed her frustration and called for people to mind their own business.
She highlighted the internal conflicts within her own family and questioned why social media was encouraging the connection of an individual to a family that may not want, respect, love, or understand its own bloodline.
In an extensive Instagram post, Zoleka wrote, “You’ve tagged me on Twitter, both my Facebook accounts, on Instagram, and sent me WhatsApp messages.”
Themba, the Nelson Mandela lookalike, shared that even young children would sing for him while he danced. He mentioned that even nurses at the hospital were amazed by his resemblance to someone who was admired by people around the world.
The 67-year-old Themba, hailing from Maboloka in North West, expressed his desire to uncover more information about his father’s birthplace. Although his father passed away in 1994 in Welkom, he did not provide sufficient details about his origins, only mentioning a small house in the former Transkei region of the Eastern Cape.
Themba’s only memory of the area is when his father accompanied him to the mountain for his manhood initiation in 1969, and he lacks recollection of the surrounding areas.
Their family moved to various places, including Welkom and Vanderbijlpark, before settling in Maboloka, where Themba has spent most of his life.
Themba’s father, John Mbhuti Qhina, was born in 1918.
Themba is appealing to anyone who may have information about the Qhina family or who may have lived in the former Transkei to connect him with his paternal relatives.
Themba expressed that he hopes to find a sense of belonging and reconnect with his ancestors, believing that his circumstances will improve if he can discover his father’s birthplace. He also mentioned that he would be happy if it could be confirmed that he is related to the Mandelas, emphasizing that he does not seek anything from them but simply desires to know where he truly belongs.
