Mandla Mandela's conversion 'shocks' traditional leaders

Mandla Mandela became a chief with the approval if his grandfather in 2007

Traditional leaders in South Africa's Eastern Cape province are seeking answers from Nelson Mandela's grandson following reports that he converted to Islam and married a Muslim woman, Rabia Clarke, the respected News24 website reports

Mandla Mandela - a chief in Mvezo, the birthplace of the anti-apartheid icon who died in 2013 - married Ms Clarke at a mosque in Cape Town on Saturday, in what was his fourth marriage, 

"We reacted with shock on the news of his conversion. We were also very concerned. What we know is that the woman converts, not the man. That is our custom,” the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa's Eastern Cape chairman, Chief Mwelo Nonkonyane, is quoted as saying in his first reaction to the wedding. 

Chief Nonkonyane added that traditional leaders were troubled that Mr Mandela, 42, married without the presence of any of them at the ceremony, News24 reports.

“Traditional leaders don’t marry secretly. He should have been represented by the traditional council of Mvezo. He is the leader of [the] people of Mvezo. We are still trying to locate him to get answers,” it quotes him as saying. 

On Monday, a senior Muslim cleric said that Mr Mandela converted to Islam before his wedding, local media reported. He has not commented on the reports of his conversion.