© AP
The South African government is opposing an auction of personal belongings of Nelson Mandela, the country’s anti-apartheid symbol and former president. His ID and some of his colorful shirts would be put up for sale in New York in February.
South Africa filed an appeal to stop the “unauthorized export” for exhibitions or auctions of items linked to Nelson Mandela. According to South African Minister of Culture Zizi Kodwa, Mandela is an essential part of the country’s heritage. In a press release, he stated that it is important that the former president’s legacy is preserved and that “his life’s work and experiences” remain in the country for future generations.
According to the website of Guernsey’s auction house, there are about a hundred of Mandela’s “precious objects” in the sales catalogue. In addition to his signature shirts and his original ID from 1993, an ostrich leather briefcase and letters with former American presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are also on offer. For each of those items, a prospective buyer would have to shell out tens of thousands of dollars.
In 2021, an auction including the key to Mandela’s cell door was postponed at the request of South Africa. The collection would then have contained important historical and cultural objects. The key is now no longer offered.