NANDI Mandela gave a lesson in international diplomacy as she delivered a homily to MSPs which avoided the question of Scottish independence.

The granddaughter of Nelson Mandela spoke eloquently of the need for international understanding and cultural co-operation when she delivered the Time for Reflection address at Holyrood,

But hell mend anyone who tries to co-opt Ms Mandela to any political cause.

As she said in an exclusive interview with The Herald, her whole life has been about carrying both the privilege and the burden of her family name, and the firm memory of her grandfather coaching all relatives to go out and make their own way in the world.

She chose the world of business and is far too smart to talk about the issue of Scottish independence or to offer a hostage to the Union side. Instead, her relentless focus is on gender — the need to promote women at every level of society.

She saw the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony from South Africa and knew the significance of the Freedom Come All Ye as sung by her countrywoman Pumeza Matshikiza, even if many simply enjoyed seeing a South African on the world stage. "We were quite delighted to see one of our own being represented on a world stage in a fusion of sport and culture."

Ms Mandela spoke of her decision, supported by her iconic grandfather, who coached all his younger relatives not to enter the political arena. "He said, as long as you carry out my responsibilities, you need to be true to yourselves. That was a very big moment for us.

"He said each of us had a role to play in society," she said, and in her case the decision was taken to walk away from political involvement at home or abroad in favour of a business career in which she seeks to promote the advancement of women.

Ms Mandela is happy to back away from politics around the world, but is a highly political figure given her support for the advancement of women in both the boardroom and the workplace.