Nelson Mandela’s Great Granddaughter Killed By Drunk Driver At World Cup Concert

↵There are few stories that could quell the excitement in South Africa at the start of the World Cup. With the host nation playing in the first match of the tournament – facing off against Mexico – the celebration had been planned for months, and the party has been going on for days. Perhaps that party has been going on a little too long, for some: ↵

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↵↵⇥“Zenani Mandela, 13, was travelling in a car returning from the World Cup kick-off concert at Orlando Stadium when the accident occurred. There was only one car involved and no one else was injured,” The Mandela Foundation said in a statement.↵⇥↵⇥However, police said that Mr Mandela’s former wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was also travelling in the car and had been taken to hospital after the accident near the Johannesburg city centre. The driver of the car has since been arrested.↵⇥

↵↵Zenani, per the report, just turned 13 two days ago, so it’s safe to assume the World Cup concert was part of one heckuva a birthday weekend. Tragic is a word you think of in a time like this, but it doesn’t even come close to doing this particular situation justice. Any child killed by a drunk driver is a terrible, horrible, awful story. But did it have to be Mandela’s great-granddaughter? And did news have to come today, with South Africa kicking off the World Cup? And did she have to be coming back from an official World Cup event, of all things? It’s almost too much to handle.↵↵It seems it may, in fact, be too much for the 91-year old Mandela to handle as word is the former South African president will not be making an appearance during the opening ceremonies. He was scheduled to make a brief appearance.↵

↵↵According to reports (and tweets), the news has not put a damper on the excitement for South African fans leading up to the first match as excitement is – as they say in soccer - at a fever pitch. Let’s just hope everyone drives responsibly.↵

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