Mandela Month with Xoliswa Ndoyiya: Global icons at Madiba’s table

Every July, the world takes a moment to commemorate the global icon, who dedicated the bulk of his life to human service. And as part of this annual remembrance, his personal and family chef, Xoliswa Ndoyiya, is inundated with nostalgic requests for Madiba’s favourite meals.

‘Ukutya kwasekhaya’: Nelson Mandela was a traditionalist at heart

Nelson Mandela, while a man of stature with international appeal, was a traditionalist at heart.

Having endured more than two-and-a-half decades of prison food, he simply longed for the traditional home-style food he grew up on in the Eastern Cape. And, from November 1992, it became Ndoyiya’s job to whip up the ukutya kwasekhaya (home-cooked food) that he had missed for so many years.

“As you know, ulusu (tripe), umsila wenkomo (oxtail stew), umngqusho (samp and beans) nomvubo (krummel pap with sour milk) were among his favourites,” says Ndoyiya.

“His mvubo was not with amasi nje (just any kind of sour milk), but it had to be with the kind of sour milk etshoqoleyo, ebalekisa iindlathi (really sour, making the salivary glands go into overdrive) and really thick.”

Ndoyiya says Madiba loved amasi eselwa (unpasteurized cow’s milk fermented in a calabash container) and, as a result, she had her own calabash container for this precise reason.

What did Xoliswa dish up for Mandela’s international guests?

Madiba’s love for his traditional food would sometimes outweigh efforts to accommodate, or even impress, some of his international visitors.

“When we would be hosting, I had to talk to him before cooking for guests that ‘Tata, kuza kuza abantu iindwend ke (we will have people coming from abroad), so we will cook a more accommodating meal’,” recalls Ndoyiya.

 “But he would still insist of his firm favourites … and guests would end up eating what he would eat.”

With many visitors of international renown and stature to Madiba’s homes in Houghton, Johannesburg, and Qunu, near Mthatha, Ndoyiya has rubbed shoulders – and hips – with some of the global cream of the crop.

Bill Clinton and Tata’s tripe

She says she will never forget former US president Bill Clinton’s visit, just a day after Madiba’s inauguration. There seemed to have been a change of plans with regards to the venue for a brief meeting.

“We had already prepared Tata’s meal, as the dignitaries were staying at a guesthouse. Tata invited Bill the day after his inauguration and, as he was bringing him over, he asked ‘ulusu lwam lusekhona? (is there still some of my leftover tripe?’ and I was gobsmacked!”

“He offered Bill and, to my surprise, he ate from all the dishes on offer, including Tata’s tripe. It was always so satisfying when Tata’s guests would delve into whatever meal he was eating,” she laughed.

Oprah Winfrey

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey was a fave in the Mandela household, to a point where she became like an honorary daughter to Madiba. Sharing a similar value system and philanthropic nature with Tata, Oprah would often stay in the house when visiting the country.

“She was known as the child of the house and she would eat everything that we made. She was always hyper and loves to be in the kitchen with us while we cook, and we would be bumping into each other as she went around tasting everything. She’s just such an ordinary woman,” recalls Ndoyiya.

Homegrown guests

Basetsana Khumalo, Ahmed Kathrada and Walter Sisulu

“Basetsana Khumalo was also like a child of the house. She loves roast potatoes and we would make sure every time she came over, we had roast potatoes.”

His comrades were easy to cater for as their tastes were similar to Madiba’s. Fellow Rivonia Trialists Ahmed Kathrada and Walter Sisulu were regulars.

“Tat’ uKathrada, even before asking how we are, would want to make sure there was oxtail stew, while Tat’ uSisulu would always scold us and remind us that he’s not a horse when we serve him green salad.”

GET THE RECIPE! Oxtail stew – A dish Nelson Mandela loved to share