COZI TV to air show starring Mandela's granddaughters

NEW YORK, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- "Being Mandela," a new reality show starring Nelson and Winnie Mandela's granddaughters, is to debut on U.S. television next month, producers said.

The 30-minute, weekly show will premiere Feb. 10 on COZI TV, a new network developed by the NBC Owned Stations division of NBCUniversal.

The series will follow Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini -- the South African-born granddaughters of anti-apartheid activists Nelson and Winnie Mandela -- as they run their own clothing line called "Long Walk to Freedom."

"We are so excited to welcome Zaziwe and Swati to the COZI TV lineup," Meredith McGinn, vice president of multi-station local programming for NBC Owned Television Stations, said in a statement Monday. "Along with our iconic TV series and hit movies, we know that our original programming like 'Being Mandela' will inspire viewers to try out COZI TV and keep them coming back for more."

"This show is about us and our lives -- both as individuals and as members of the Mandela family," said Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini in a joint statement. "It offers a window on how far we have come to reestablish our lives. We are excited to share our story and hopefully viewers will be able to appreciate how universal the human story is."

Nelson Mandela, 94, was imprisoned from 1962-1990. Upon his release, he was elected president of South Africa and served from 1994-1999. He retired from public life in 2004 and was last seen in public in 2010, when he attended the closing ceremonies of the World Cup in Johannesburg.

Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini spent much of their youth in exile in the United States while their grandfather was imprisoned. They returned to South Africa as teenagers upon their grandfather's release from prison.