Former consulate is new home

Among the residences to which Mr Mandela will retire is the former Hungarian consulate in Cape Town which he has been able to…

Among the residences to which Mr Mandela will retire is the former Hungarian consulate in Cape Town which he has been able to purchase at a below-market price.

Mr Mandela will be able to move in on July 10th. This follows months of bureaucratic haggling since February when Mr Mandela said he wanted to buy the villa in the Fernwood district of Cape Town, the foreign ministry said.

Hungary is to close down its chief consulate in Cape Town and wanted to sell the building to Mr Mandela. However, under Hungarian law it should have been sold to the highest bidder, possibly more than the 3.8 million rand ($630,000) offered by Mr Mandela.

"This would have been unpleasant for both sides," said a Budapest official. "The government found the solution to sell the building to President Mandela in an accelerated procedure and in an invitation tender."

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The villa, complete with swimming pool and separate servants' quarters, will be one of four residences for Mr Mandela