King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi told Star that he and other senior members of Mandela's royal clan, tembu, had started negotiating the wedding, which took place last Saturday. According to tradition, a group of Mandela's uncles had visited Machel's family in Mozambique several times to negotiate the marriage and lobolac - traditional payment to the bride's family.

Asked if he thought 60 cattle was a good price, the king said: ``the number of cows involved in lobola is nobody's business. ``Even if Rolihlahla (Mandela's other name) had paid a million cows for Graca, she is worth every bristle of hair and hoof.'' The king, however, squashed the talk that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, whom Mandela divorced , was unhappy with the marriage.