Mrs Mandela struggled with having her belongings sold off to pay school fees . Mandela , ex - wife of South African icon Nelson Mandela , is regarded by many as ` ` mother of the nation The problems started when the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela , the country 's first black president and an international icon , registered her great niece , Nobantu Vutela , as a boarding student at Abbotts College in Northcliff , Johannesburg , according to court papers filed in 2008 . '' Commentators see Winnie Mandela increasingly isolated from political and biological circles . Nelson Mandela 's family embroiled in legal battles over former political prisoner 's money .
Mrs Mandela struggled with having her belongings sold off to pay school fees . Mandela , ex - wife of South African icon Nelson Mandela , is regarded by many as ` ` mother of the nation '' Commentators see Winnie Mandela increasingly isolated from political and biological circles . Nelson Mandela 's family embroiled in legal battles over former political prisoner 's money .