JOHANNESBURG, April 10 (Xinhuanet) -- A feud has broken out between South African former president Nelson Mandela's family and the executives of his charities for control of the former president's multimillion-rand legacy, according to a report carried in Sunday Times.

    The row, which has been escalated by ageing Mandela's weakening grip on his affairs, became public this week after advocate GeorgeBizos, a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, said he would sue Ismail Ayob, Mandela's personal lawyer for more than 30 years, on behalf of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

    The report said that the legal action exposes a rift between Mandela's two most important charities -- the foundation and the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund -- and his daughters Makaziwe and Zenani, the owners of at least one business venture fronted by Ayob to sell the Mandela name.

    This week it emerged that Mandela's daughters were the owners of a company called Magnifique Investments and Holdings. Despite attempts to portray this venture as raising money for the children's fund, Ayob's son this week claimed that "all the money went to the family."

    The dispute between the Mandela charities and the Mandela family centers on the right to use the Mandela name to raise funds.In at least three previous cases, Ayob has demanded payment for this.

    Zayd Ayob, the lawyer's son and partner in his law firm, IsmailAyob and partners, said on Saturday that fueling the row was Mandela's age.

    Despite his father's fallout with the foundation, he continued to represent the Mandela family's interests, including the 86-year-old former president's grandchildren. Enditem