Wednesday, January 31, 2024 – Authorities have today suspended the controversial auction of Nelson Mandela’s memorabilia in New York.
Items
including the late anti-apartheid leader’s identity card and some of his iconic
shirts had been listed for sale by a US auction house working with
Mandela’s daughter, Makaziwe.
The
sale was supposed to take place in late February, but the South African
Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) said auction house, Guernsey’s, has
decided to put it on hold following discussions.
“The
suspension of the auction is a responsible and considerate approach,” the
agency said.
“It
allows the ongoing legal proceedings to be concluded and affords SAHRA the
opportunity to pursue its objective of preserving the cultural heritage of our
nation.”
South
Africa’s Ministry of Culture filed an appeal to halt the sale earlier this
month, arguing that it included items of historical and cultural importance.
Guernsey’s
had described the auction - expected to fetch several million dollars - as
“remarkable” and “unprecedented”.
The artifacts on offer included clothing, writings and gifts
Mandela received from US Presidents including Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Mandela’s eldest daughter, Makaziwe, had authorised the
event as a fund-raiser for a memorial garden to be built next to her
father’s resting place in the village of Qunu, Guernsey’s said.
“This
auction has been suspended,” a message on the auction house’s website read on
Tuesday.
Initially
advertised in 2021, the auction was already suspended once in 2022, after SAHRA
launched a first bid to reclaim control over some of the items.
But
South African judges dismissed the agency’s concerns, giving the go ahead to
the sale last December.
Guernsey’s
president, Arlan Ettinger said earlier this month that the artefacts were
hardly of cultural and historical significance and would have likely ended up
“on shelves in a closet somewhere and… forgotten” rather than in a museum.
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