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East London - Boreholes and a reservoir on former president Nelson Mandela's farm in Qunu in the Eastern Cape have reportedly run dry, affecting livestock and the watering of plants at the family gravesite.
The Daily Dispatch spoke to two sources who claimed Mandela's farm has been without water since early January.
Two cows have died in the last two months, and the gardens are no longer tended, including Mandela's gravesite. There is no water for the plants and flowers next to his grave and these are dying, the sources stated.
However, Mandela's eldest grandson Mandla Mandela denied this, telling the Daily Dispatch that he recently visited the farm and was not told of any water shortages.
In late November 2014, Qunu was without water for a week due to a breakdown of water services in the area. The water and sanitation department carried out repairs to infrastructure and water supply was restored.
Also in November, Mandela's family undertook to ensure the welfare of cattle at his farm, after several cattle died and camps were overgrazed, with no supplementary feeding provided. This came after a follow-up inspection by the SPCA after the Eastern Cape provincial government had to intervene and provide veterinarians and food for 96 starving cattle last August.
Mandela died in Johannesburg in December 2013 and was laid to rest at his family's private gravesite in Qunu.
