Highly criticised auction of Nelson Mandela’s items suspended
Nelson Mandela’s first daughter Makaziwe wanted to auction his personal items to finance a memorial garden in Qunu, Eastern Cape.
The highly criticised sale of South Africa’s first democratically elected president Nelson Mandela’s items, including his Identity Document (ID), at an auction has been suspended.
The auction was set to take place on 22 February, however, Guernsey’s auction house in New York removed removed Mandela’s items from their website.
AUCTION OF NELSON MANDELA’S PERSONAL ITEMS SUSPENDED
As previously reported by The South African, former President Nelson Mandela’s eldest daughter with his first wife Evelyn Mase, Makaziwe, wanted to auction off items, including letters the former Statesman wrote while jailed at Robben Island, a gift from former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, his reading glasses as well as his ID book issued in 1993.
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The initial date for the auction was 28 January 2022, however, following a two-year legal battle, a High Court ruled in favour of Makaziwe and a new date was set.
The company, which estimated the collective value of the 70 items to be between $2 million (R38 million) and $3 million (R56 million), revealed that proceeds from the auction are intended to finance a memorial garden honouring Mandela in Qunu, his final resting place.
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SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE MINISTER WEIGHS IN
The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa had also criticised the auction and argued that Mandela is integral to South Africa’s heritage.
“His life, experiences, and legacy live in our consciousness and the values we promote as a country. It is thus important that we preserve the legacy of former President Mandela and ensure that his life’s work and experiences remain in the country for generations to come,” he said.
Furthermore, Kodwa said the legacy of former President Mandela and many others who have contributed to getting South Africa to where it is today as a free, democratic, and culturally diverse nation cannot be forgotten.
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